


The King of Steel

by John_Malfoy



Category: Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), NieR: Automata (Video Game)
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 18:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25940146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Malfoy/pseuds/John_Malfoy
Summary: Emiya Shirou did not see by his side Master Louise de La Vallière waking up from the cycle of dreams, and there wasn't a world he knew. A completely unknown land was waiting for him. And he was welcomed there by the ruins of the old world and... a smiling head, rolling on the ground.Crossover:James D. Fawkes'  Miracle of Zero: Kingdom of the Forsaken and NieR: Automata
Kudos: 33





	1. 1.

beta-reader  
Nyanvic 

"Whoaa, I'm so tired!"

The young woman said wearily, tumbling in the room and giving a strong-looking door kick before that. A man that looked barely older than she was came from behind. The woman took off her cloak right after coming in but the man managed to catch it before it fell and gently hung it on the back of a chair. He was dressed in a rich scarlet clothing, which was giving the noble-born impression.

However, unlike his master Louise de La Vallière, Duke's daughter who cumulated the power of Void for years, which now flowed in her body; Emiya Shirou was not a noble-born at all.

"When dinner will be ready Shirou?"

"Maids had been notified already. I took care of it at the entrance".

A dinner after an exhausting trip to the opposite end of Germany, where natural source of salamanders went furious, was definitely necessary in the end. Besides, cooking and serving of the food from Academy's girls was better than his campfire cooking. But this is all minor. Most important that he can finally sleep on a real bed and not on the grass. Shirou is used to sleeping anywhere while only relying on his sword but good things comes easier.

While Louise was undressing herself, Shirou turned to the other side and decided to take off his enchanted heavy jacket. Even though it had a self-cleaning spell, it was hot to be in it when indoors.

"Don't turn around!" came from behind. Shiro could only grunt at this.

"What didn't I see there?"

"You...!"

"Yes. Yes, I am".

Unbuttoning an enormous number of buttons and zippers on the jacket and pulling it off, Shirou was standing topless and after folding his clothes on a chair, plopped down on his bed with eyes closed, still trying not to look at his Master.

Louise, however, quickly stripped off her cloak, enchanted chemise and tight top, put on her nightgown before turning around.

"Peeking bastard…"

"Like I need it..."

"'Like I need it, My glorious Master'!"

"Yeah yeah, got it".

Without taking her eyes off from her Servant, the woman sat down on a chair and crossed her legs.

"It's been thirteen years since you came to this world, Familiar, and you still haven't learned manners and proper treatment of your owner, for a moment the strongest Void Mage. Where is your gratitude for that I didn't give you up?"

"Well... I'm the man who with these hands," he lazily raised his hands and showed them to Louise. "Killed Heroic Spirits and your world's Pseudo-Gods. I'm also a Void Familiar, so what? Oh, yes, how was it? 'One day, Master, you will remember this moment and thank the Gods for my patience'. Do you remember anything like that?"

Shirou sat up slightly, hands clasped behind his head, and looked into his Master's purple eyes. Louisa tried to say something more, but in the end she couldn't hold it and laughed out loud, a clear, ringing laugh that was so familiar to him.

"Touché, Shirou..." and now this time they both started laughing, but it didn't last long and after that there was an awkward silence in the room. Shirou was lying on his bed on the other side of the room of the Academy, where Louise had once studied and she, a former half-student, now a powerful Mage, was sitting on a chair, staring at her Servant, trying to say something.

"Shirou…"

But a knock on the door interrupted her, not allowing her to say the cherished words that she had longed to say, but did not dare to.

"Madame de La Valliere? Sir Shirou? This is Annabelle, I have brought your dinner…"

"Come in Annabel".

The door opened and the maid entered the room, her back facing forward so that she had yet to see what Shirou and Louise were wearing. As soon as she turned around, Shirou immediately ran towards her, anticipating that she might drop this heavy tray of full food. Besides, he just wanted to help because the tray looked heavy. However, Shirou didn't feel the weight at all.

"At least wear something before standing in front of a lady," Louise said lazily from her seat, which caused Annabel to hiccup loudly and start apologizing profusely.

"Who's talking, huh? Look at your own negligee" Shirou immediately retorted, placing the tray carefully on the table. Louise flushed and unconsciously tried to cover herself with her hands, as if she had just realized that her nightgown was quite transparent, leaving no room for imagination.

"Shut up, Familiar!"

"I… I'm sorry… I will…"

"I'm sorry about the performance, Annabelle" Shirou smiled awkwardly. The maid looked at him, then flushed red like a poppy and looked away. There was nothing to be surprised at. Shiroг was perfectly built and handsome, and whenever he was without his jacket, women's eyes would be drawn to his body. "Thank you for your efforts".

The maid protested for a while, muttering something about it being her job and so on, but Shiro was adamant. It was awkward for him when the others watched his verbal quarrels with his Master.

Finally, Annabelle bowed deeply, and promised to come back for the tray in the morning and with breakfast, quickly scurried out to the door, quietly and unobtrusively as possible like a small mouse.

"Gh… why does this always happen?" Louise complained indignantly, grabbing a piece of chicken from her plate and quickly shovelling it into her mouth. "Mmm… Here, the clock is ticking, and I'll look older than you are very soon. How will people react to this?

Shiro sat down on a chair on the other side of the small table and pulled a bowl of soup towards him, picked up a spoon, and then looked at his Master. — "Why does St. Louise have to care what people think about her?"

"I… ", Louise took a noisy sip of tea from a large mug and continued. "I care. I do care! Reputation for a noble is not an empty word. Even for someone… lost as me".

Shirou chuckled softly at this, enjoying the food prepared in the local canteen. It was unexpected that Louise realized so soon, how much people were similar to each other.

"But soon I will look much older than you. Now we look almost the same age on the outside. Both without wrinkles, virtually without grey hair" Louise glanced at Shirou's seemingly streaked hair and lightly touched her temple with fingers, where you could see, if you looked closely, a white hair. It was consequences of using the Force. However, those snow-white strands, oddly enough, suited Louise very well. "What will happen in ten years? In twenty years? You'll still look the same" she picked up the mug and sipped from it, then sighed loudly, adding in a trembling voice. "I wish you would grow old with me…"

"That's a pretty selfish wish" Shiro allowed himself a slight grin. But there was really nothing to laugh about. As she grew older, Louise was always optimistic and happy with new opportunities, but from time to time, she was gloomy, seemingly for no reason at all. But Shirou knew why his Master was sad. Twelve years later, then another twenty, and even a hundred more… he will be exactly the same. As long as people needed help. Until the wars stop, he will live and save people. This was his way of the Hero of Justice, his personal curse, which he gladly follows.

"You still haven't found your way home, haven't you?"

The sudden question snapped Shirou out of his thoughts, and then he realized that he had been staring at his full bowl for a while. The soup became cold, and it probably had lost its delicious flavour. In addition, the onion rings and bits of meat that were floating in it no longer looked as tempting as they used to… but he didn't care now.

"Yes, I still don't know how to get home, Louise" Shirou said, pursing his lips. He quickly gulped down all of his plate's contents and reached for another plate, which was full with mashed potatoes, drizzled with a shiny brown sauce that smelled like meat.

"Then you can…"

The woman sat up and looked at him desperately, but the longing in Shiro's eyes was on a different level. Of course, she knew everything. That his friends from the old world had all died, about how much time had passed... about all his thoughts and experiences, but she still could not fully understand the burden that the Hero carried on his shoulders. As long as that beautiful sword is in its scabbard, and the enchanted clothing warms on cold nights, he doesn't dare to retire. And a setback in Louise's world, a world that almost had become his home for the past thirteen years, would not change anything. Because people are still same people from world to world, and the burden of his will stop requiring anything only if there were no more people in the world at all.

But this was beyond the impossible.

"Perhaps. Anyway, because I have nowhere to go, I will stay here with you as long as you wish, Master" Shirou said with a brief smile, and began to eat, determined to pay attention to it.

For a moment Louise eagerly looked into his face, looking for some confirmation of her words or guesses, and eventually finding them, or perhaps the other way around, she leaned back and let out a loud sigh.

 _Again this subject and again it came to nothing…_ This thought flashed in her mind. But Louise did not dwell on these sad thoughts, deciding to think about the present, where have been her almost untouched dinner and warm bed that was waiting for her.

For a while, both of them were silent, until finally each of them finished their bulky portions and were starting to get ready for sleep. Louise quickly hid behind the bathroom door, laughing and telling Shiro not to peek, but the sleepy Shirou didn't wanted to. The soft feather bed was too inviting, and was much preferable to any catty little girls. Even if these girls were already in their late… twenties…

His eyes were closing uncontrollably, and Shirou was in no condition to fight against the sleep.

…

**We have plans for you, and we knew you would call for us…**

Just as Shirou thought he had finally fallen asleep, words passed through his mind in a tone he hoped to never hear again. His eyes opened quickly, but he was no longer in a bedroom at the Academy. Before his eyes was a perfectly calm expanse of water and at the horizon, where water seemed to merge with the sky, was scarlet setting sun that looked like it was sinking into the water. Slowly and inexorably, plunging the world around it into darkness.

It was just like that time, many, many years ago, exactly as Shirou remembered.

_**You must fulfil the contract to the end…** _

_But I did it all the time!_

Shirou wanted to shout it out, but he was not allowed to speak. He can only watch and listen. Before he could blink, two beautiful women appeared on the surface of the water. One in a blue dress and the other in a snow-white one. Once again, there was a feeling that he had grown used to, as if his soul was being seen through. It is as if there were no barriers between these ethereal beings and his soul. In front of them, he was completely naked, both physically and mentally.

_**You were delayed…** _

**Delayed...** The Fairy Queen echoed.

… _**here for a long time, ignoring the summon…**_ The Lady of the Lake said cryptically.

 _I didn't…_ he wanted to say again, but the Fairy Queen seemed to sense that he was about to object, and immediately added:

**The call was sent to you from another world, but you came here. You did not call for us, although you had the opportunity, and the fate of the people became the price…**

Before his eyes, as if in a fast-rewound movie, were completely unfamiliar, but terrifying fragments that flashed by. People crumbling in snow-white dust, the slow, sedate demise of all living things, terrible, in his opinion, experiments to remove the souls from the bodies of survivors…

He wanted to forget it, but there was nothing he could do but listen appalled to what was being said, unable to say a word or even move.

 _ **Thirteen years that have turned into centuries for a shrinking world…**_ The Lady of the Lake began.

 **That was reborn...** The Fairy Queen continued for her.

_**You have to correct your mistake…** _

**And protect everything that wasn't completely burned in it…**

Shirou didn't bother to ask what would happen to this world when he disappeared. And how would Louise be without him? For how long will he go to the new world? From what or who to protect it and whom he needed to save? He didn't bother because they wouldn't have answered it anyway.

**Now go…**

_**With pure mind, with all your powers and with our gifts…** _

**Emiya Shirou…**

_**Emiya Shirou…** _

Both of them held out their hands to him, one right, the other left, and he seemed to be thrown back many kilometres. The world around him became a blur, and he kept falling back... or down? Or maybe up? All sensations abruptly lost their meaning, as did the world around him, which abruptly lost all its colours and views, plunging Shirou into the depths of darkness in which only he and the concept of "fall" existed.

It is not known for how long he flew in the void, but in the end he was thrown out of it, like a cork, before hitting the ground. But in reality all of this was actually just an illusion of his mind and Shirou abruptly took a vertical position after a moment.

He was sitting on the grass, which felt nice. There was not a soul around him, as if he just had fallen asleep in the field. But even though there were no living people around, it wasn't truly empty. Old, dilapidated, stone buildings that were crooked from time, paved paths, overgrown with wild grass that grew literally everywhere, gigantic and branching trees... all this literally screamed that no human had set foot in here for a long time.

Something in Shirou's mind insisted that this was not the world he knew. Looking at the buildings that looked so much like the high-rise buildings of his old world, the one that he had come from to Halkeginia.

Could it be...?

"Hey, slacker, wake up!" Shiro shouted, hoping to awaken the guest inside himself, but the guest didn't want to answer, as if he wasn't even here. It was empty inside and far away in there, where Apeiron usually lived, was nothing.

Shiro, concerned about his absence, waved his hand from up to down and directly in front of him appeared multiple translucent golden portals, which glowed grey-steel and had emerald sparks.

" _Show me your glory, the Sword of Rapture…"_

Shirou whispered softly. Even though his Treasury was still with him, if _Escalvatine_ was not there, it might mean that the Keepers had broken their contract about protection of the world with him. Which in turn means that he is no longer beholden to anyone and is free to act in his own interests, as well as inevitably grow old and die in a few decades because of that.

But…

The sword slowly materialized in the air, and Sarras, resting in a scarlet sheath, lay on his hands. Shirou slowly exhaled the lingering air in his lungs, not realizing that he hadn't been breathing all this time. He breathed a sigh of relief and disappointment, so disjointed were his feelings inside. There was still another feeling inside, burning with fire and eager to protect people. But he was tired of the beautiful Ladies of whom he already had enough in his old world.

**All packed up here, huh?**

Suddenly another being spoke sharply with his lips.

"Are you awake? What's going on here? What kind of world is this?"

 **There is lack of data to analyse. The analysis will take a long time…** Apeiron paused, and Shirou waited patiently for more information. **The year 3361 according to the local calendar ... Yes ... Much happened and nothing remained of the sentient. I can tell you that right away.**

There was a spark of interest in the King's lifeless, mechanical voice.

**You have drifted far, Protector… And it will be for a long time. I don't think I'll even need to interfere with your actions. I'll just watch, because it's going to be really interesting.**

"What…" his throat suddenly became dry. Shirou thought of a strange, very strange and impossible guess in his head. "What year is it?"

**It would be better if you find out about it later. There would have been more surprise. But so be it–**

"Just. Tell. Me. What. Year. Is. It!" Shiro's patience was getting thinner and thinner.

**Hmm. Ignoramus. Fine... from your usual reference frame, it is... 11941 A.D.**

The world around him abruptly lost colours, everything in his chest tightened, there was nothing to breathe. But Shirou couldn't do anything about it. Everything around him, including his mind and all his senses, was lost in a monstrous flash of surprise and defeat.

"What... what did you just say…?"

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

**beta-reader**

**Nyanvic**

The world before his eyes was clouded with scarlet-grey tones. All of sudden, he lost his sense of balance, became detached from his surroundings and fell back onto the grass, for which he lay unconscious for a while. Thoughts absolutely could not fit into his head. Everything was spinning so fast that it wasn't even possible to grab the tail of at least one thought.

"What are you…? It can't be…"

But **Apeiron** didn't answer anymore. Huddled into the depths of Emiya Shirou's soul so far that he cannot be found and pulled out by any pincers. He simply left him alone with his wild thoughts and conjectures about what could happen in this world. Nevertheless, he guessed. No, well, frankly, he even knew that. More precisely, he saw the general details in the vision that the Great King showed him.

Yet… he was definitely, without a doubt or mistakes, in another world. Because in the world in which he spent thirteen years with his Master Louise, air around him was rich with Mana, but here… everything was much poorer. No, Shirou could still feel some bits of mana in the air. Theoretically, he could even use them, but…

To be honest, Emiya didn't know what to do if he had to fight. If his memory didn't fail him, he was always supplied with the necessary energy by the Master, to which he was connected. In his old world, he was left to himself of course, but nevertheless he knew what he was capable of. Here, after all that Shirou knew he was able to show, having only the Gandalfr runes on the back of his hand, he felt rather lost, not knowing what he could and what simply could not do.

In a fleeting moment, the thought flashed through his head that it would be nice to stumble upon someone malevolent, which would allow him to find out what he was capable of. However, as **Apeiron** said, there was no one here. Absolutely. Not a single person. Worldwide.

And so, for a moment, Shirou was overtaken with sadness. What could he do here? Whom to save? Besides that, there was something else interesting to him. Who had called him here? Judging by what these two Ladies said, Emiya was a long time late, and… had allowed the death of civilization? Is it possible that he could had saved everyone? They said he was hundreds of centuries late… It was strange. After all, he did not notice any obstacle to his falling into this world, not a single string that was extended to him and would drag him into another world, where more than a few thousand people would need his help, the Hero's help.

The dragon whose decayed body caused the demise of an entire civilization… It is still difficult to believe in this. And he had no one to ask. There are no one to answer his questions. Absolutely. And here he has to return to the question of **who** called him here. This, from whatever point you look at, must be a living, thinking creature. It appealed to the will that seeks to protect humanity. Alaya, one might say, forwarded the request to the two Ladies, who had already conveyed the request to him personally. But the request was a little late.

And what was the reason for this?

Shirou had many guesses, many of which were completely absurd. For example, that his actions in Louise's world backfired. What does chaos theory say? The flap of the butterfly's wings can cause the tornado. Perhaps something similar took place here?

But how the hell? Shirou couldn't even imagine how his actions could cause this, and if he was at all to blame. It is unlikely that even at least one of his actions could force the disembodied shells to gain consciousness, and subsequently reject the true souls of people. It was simply impossible.

Wasn't it…?

Shirou shook his head and got up from his seat, determined to go somewhere. There was no point in sitting and waiting for the grass to grow. Perhaps it will be possible to find at least some remnants of civilization that will help him to settle in this world or tell him about the survivors. Shirou desperately hoped that at least someone survived. Otherwise he wouldn't have been sent here. There just wouldn't be anyone. But if he is here, then there is someone in need of help. There is someone that has to saved, and the Protector inside Emiya was jubilant at this realization.

 _It would be nice to know where I am..._ Shirou thought. _There are good chances_ _that this world would be like mine._

There were strong and sure reasons for these thoughts. The towering buildings around, covered in moss and decayed, were like copies of the houses and offices in downtown Fuyuki. It may even have been Japan. Only thing left to do was to find confirmation or refutation of this. This could be anything: a sign with familiar Japanese inscriptions, from which he had already become unaccustomed, or some other things. For example, it could be a large number vending machines in which cold and hot drinks could be bought at any time of the day or night. That was a unique feature by which it was possible to identify Japan, because taking into account the population and area of the territory of Japan, the number of these vending machines was the largest among other countries.

Any sign could be accepted. Everything that he managed to get used to and everything that in thirteen years in a completely different world weaned.

However, nothing notable came across and Shirou just walked forward along the broken asphalt road. Its surface was very uneven, and in some places, it had large pits that Shirou tried to avoid, as well as cracks of the same size, extending far into the depths of the earth. One could fall into such and no one will notice it. Therefore, he had to look more attentively to where he was walking.

Speaking of the weather ... it was hot in here. If Shirou could compare everything with the same Japan, then he could say that it was mid-summer. In Japan, it was dry and hot, so you can only survive in the shade and only if it was closer to the late afternoon. The air here, surprisingly, was not dry at all, but even a little humid, so it is easier to breath here. Most likely, this is because there is a lot of vegetation around, but also fewer factors that would consume oxygen or pollute the environment.

For a moment, Emiya even thought that it is good that it is so clean and free here. It reminded him a little of the world in which he lived with Louise. There were even no plans to create any factories that pollute the atmosphere or water. Everything was so natural and right there, that in general it could be compared to the Age of the Gods.

But this place, that could be compared with his home world, did not resemble the Age of the Gods in any way because of the small amounts of magic that was in the air. At the time he would be seriously puzzled by this, if not for one but. Shirou felt a connection with his Master. No, it wasn't Louise, the connection with whom felt like something sweet, almost sugary. It was heady, like wine, but also sugary-sweet, which wine shouldn't be. And Shirou knew it because he had to learn this fact.

But this connection that he felt now ... it reeked of pure magic. Shirou lacked the vocabulary to describe this scent. It would be easier to describe the feelings that he experienced from this.

This is... Shirou closed his eyes for a moment, stopped and listened to himself... An irrepressible stream of pure energy coming into his body from somewhere outside. It was so pure, powerful and stable that Shirou felt like he could fight an entire army right now. Well… or he could fight several Heroic Spirits. But that doesn't matter anymore.

Therefore, since the source of energy was able to be felt, it means that there was a living person here. At least that was what Shirou was hoping for. Since it was eleven thousand... something year there, then the technology could already be at a completely different level.

" **Apeiron** , what year did you say people ... died?"

Shirou spoke to the guest in his soul, stumbling over one word for a moment. It was so hard to accept the truth and Emiya didn't understand why he was reacting so calmly. Perhaps it is because all gloomy thoughts were supplanted by one, which given him such a persistent hope for a successful resolution of the situation. Perhaps he will be able to find his Master, who once sent a call to him through space and time, and ask him how things turned out, what they will do here together, whom he has to protect and with whom he will have to fight.

Frankly, Shirou didn't feel his Master clear enough to try to trace the path to their actual location. The connection was one-way, as Shirou understood that he received only bits of something that was so similar to Mana. There was nothing else. No information, no mental images, nothing even a little bit capable of suggesting about his Master's personality or, at least, about how they look.

 **I already told you, Emiya** , the unknown creature spoke with Shirou's lips. **There is no one here. They died from this unknown infection many centuries ago.**

"You still don't know from what the died? Where are your vaunted analytic abilities, which are enough to analyse the situation even in the whole world?"

 **Hold your tongue, boy! You are speaking with the King** , Shirou, if he had not heard such a tone he said with his own ears, he would never have believed that he could speak in such a chilling and arrogant tone, more suitable for the golden King of Heroes. However, this one was no different. He was just as arrogant, but at least more accommodating. **Apart from your master, with whom you are so eager to meet, there is no one here. I've already told you about that. You are feeding empty hopes.**

"From whom do you think I get Mana?" Shirou asked aloud, still confused by the cold tone of his voice. It seems that so many years have passed ... for more than thirty years he has been consciously communicating with **Apeiron** , the great King from the past, all information about which was erased from human chronicles as punishment for the fact that he became on a par with the Gods. "Your Majesty…"

**I hear unnecessary sarcasm in your voice.**

"But you don't need to tell me what I've already heard. One way or another, an inanimate creature could not summon me. If there are people here, then Alaya still exists, which means that I have someone to protect in this world."

 **Let me remind you, boy, that you need me, not the opposite** , said Shirou's lips, only in an even colder tone.

"Oh yeah? And which one of us two is currently deprived of a body, and cursed so much that he will never fall into the cycle of reincarnation again?"

…

"Yes, I am aware of this, therefore I propose to put an end to the bickering and return to the important…"

 **Why do you think that a non-human being could not summon you? Apeiron** interrupted him sharply.

At this point, Shirou hesitated. He stumbled in a figurative sense, having lost the train of thought and also literally, tripped over a stone by the toe of his boot, but was able to stay on his feet. What the hell? This thought was voiced out loud by Shirou.

"What the hell are you talking about? Who could it be then?"

**I don't know. Any other being than a human. Do you think, thousands of years after the extinction of humanity, someone could have stayed here? There was nothing left to help the modern men of your old world to survive. Factories, cars, everything has lost electricity, power. People would simply starve to death unless they didn't end up feeding on each other.**

This thought seemed even wilder to Shirou.

"No, this is too much. How do you think people survived in the Stone Age? They had nothing and nevertheless they collected some herbs, roots, and butchered wildfowl and roasted its meat. Why not survive this way?"

**With your eyes, I have sufficiently observed what people were like in the twenty-first century. Those people could not survive in such conditions. Perhaps only small communities, which in any case would have soon became extinct. However, the rest of the situation, you have yet to learn. I already know more than you, child.**

"And as usual you won't tell me anything?" but **Apeiron** seems to have closed itself off from him, and Shirou would never have been able to break through this wall, even considering that he was the main one among them. "Well, keep hiding there then."

This is how, more often than not, the dialogues between **Apeiron** and Shirou had developed - two personalities completely incompatible with each other, but forced to get along in one body.

Shirou sighed and walked on, decided not to think about the mischievous King for now. The landscape around, meanwhile, did not change. All the same dilapidated buildings overgrown with moss and grass, entwined with wild plants, which Shirou had never even seen before. Only one thing changed, in the distance, about two hundred meters, the road ended and was blocked by several buildings that had fallen on top of each other. Two of them landed on top of each other so neatly that they formed a small passage that, as Shirou saw from his position, could be entered. And then a sandy area could be seen, as if some kind of desert began. And it didn't fit Shirou's head at all. He had already been to the deserts before, in his own world, in Louise's world, but he had never seen such a sharp transition from woodland to sand.

And it was weird.

The closer he got to the sandy area, the hotter it got. Shirou felt this temperature rise subconsciously. His enchanted jacket protected him from temperature extremes, heat and cold, so that he could safely travel through the desert, and if he wrapped his head in a protective cloth, he could not even be afraid of fainting from heatstroke.

And everything would have been fine, if Shirou hadn't heard, from somewhere to the right, a mechanical grinding, as well as a call for help.

"Help! Help me please! Anyone!"

Shirou's amplified hearing immediately grasped a sound that hero Emiya heard almost constantly. Not even for a moment, Shirou was puzzled that the voice of the one calling for help didn't sound like a human. It was full of steel, grinding notes. But none of this was important because someone needed help and it was not in Shirou's right to ignore the request.

Having crossed several tens of meters and again moving away from the sandy area to which he was heading earlier, Shirou ran behind the building, from where pleas for help were heard, and appeared almost in front of the one who was shouting.

In a split second, Shirou's brain analysed the situation shown by his eyes, accepted it and suggested options for action. But Shirou himself could not really figure out what was happening right in front of him.

Grotesque steel creatures ... moved independently. Round and small eyes on their spherical heads glowed with bright red fire. The robots ... Shirou decided to call them like that, attacked, with their arms moving in a circle, another robot that looked like them, only it had one difference. Its eyes shone with a pleasant green light that did not inspire fear and disgust, unlike the previous ones. It was this robot that was still calling for help, not even seeing Shirou, but hoping for at least something.

"Mom…! Help me, I don't want to die!"

Even if it was not a human, Shirou could not pass by. He simply had no right to refuse to help this creature.

And therefore, already a moment later, in the hands of the magician was a large and smooth Archer's anthracite-black bow. The seven steps of creating a projection passed unusually quickly, as if there were none, and instantly there were several thin rods of exactly the same black arrows between Shirou's fingers.

For a moment, Shirou held his breath and after estimating the distance and the effect of the wind on the arrow, he quickly shot several times at the robots, whose artificial eyes were glowing red. He did not think about what he was doing and why, as well as what the consequences would be, he simply saved the one who was asking for help.

The attacking robots were, a second after the shot, blown several meters away, thanks to the force of the shot, and they exploded in a bright flames where they landed, leaving behind only small parts and gears. It seems that Shirou managed to damage some particularly important parts, thanks to which they simply detonated and no longer posed a danger to either this robot or Shirou himself.

Meanwhile, the small, scratched and slightly dented robot removed its little hands from its head and looked around. Noticing what was left of his fellow robots, he backed away, but stumbled on the large torso of the already inactive robot and fell, finally seeing his saviour. At the same time, Shirou, with completely mixed emotions, was looking at the most typical representative of the machine life form and did not know what to do.

"You… you… you… saved me…" the robot asked in an intermittent, thin, but monotonous voice.

"I couldn't walk away," Shirou replied automatically, still impressed that the robot was consciously talking. In his childhood, he saw this only in films and anime, and therefore could not get used to the fact that this could happen in reality. Moreover, to happen personally with him.

The little robot jumped to its feet and, blinking its green flashlights, and suddenly backed away.

"And you ... you are not an android, aren't you?"

This didn't say anything to Shirou and, moreover, he was unlikely to be something like that, so he shook his head and replied negatively.

"No, I'm not them. I don't even know who they are."

"Really? This ... this is good ..." said the robot carefully, in the same squeaky monotonous voice. Then, with the characteristic ringing of limbs and the sound of movement of small parts inside his steel body, vaguely similar to a small motor, it came closer and, as if it was telling some secret, told the astonished magician. "You know, I am actually afraid of androids, despite the fact that uncle Pascal communicates with them. They help each other - Uncle Pascal makes them fui ... fue ... filters!"

"Oh…"

The only thing that Shirou could give in response to this.

Uncle Pascal? Perhaps a human? And what are the androids?

"Oh, can you walk me to our settlement? It's not far from here, but I'm afraid that they will attack me again ... I ... I ran away from my mom ... But I don't want to run away anymore ..."

"Yes, of course, I will accompany you."

Shirou was still talking and acting without realizing that this was actually happening to him. Deciding that he would think about all this and ask in more detail about what is happening with this 'Uncle Pascal', Shirou went after the little robot and smiled.

"Okay, I'll protect you, kid. Show the way."

"Hooray!" The robot exclaimed, and for a moment, for Shirou it seemed that its green eyes blinked happily. "Come on, I'll show you the way!"

And Shirou, along with the little robot that had run away from his mother, went ahead without seeing the action unfolding behind him.

* * *

Deftly pulling herself up by the protruding edge of the roof, an android girl jumped onto the surface of the building. Throwing aside her long, snow-white hair, she angrily gazed at the machine life form that took off not far from her. With a slightly curved sword, with a black and white hilt, the android fought off several shells that were supposed to hit her and finally drew attention to what was happening nearby on the ground.

The android could not believe her visors when she saw a humanoid creature, dressed in bright red clothes, protecting the small robot and going somewhere with it. However, what struck her most of all was not that someone protected the robot, whom the androids considered enemies, but that the unknown was defined in the thermal spectrum.

And that could mean several things. Either machine life forms have evolved so much that they are now defined in this way, or ... this ...

No, she didn't want to think about the second option.

The second unit of the main YoRHa Attacking Squad, wanted to rush after them in order to sort out the situation right there, but for a moment she remembered one incident in which both the dead members of her squad and members of the Resistance Camp were implicated. Once they, an experimentally created detachment, were almost mistaken for evolved machines.

She couldn't make the same mistake. The unknown will wait, she will find him later and get her answers. Until then ...

... In the meantime, Attacker Number Two, or simply A2, jumped to the roof of another building and rushed at all speed available to her mechanical body, catching up with the Machine Life Form that dared to attack her.


	3. Chapter 3

**beta-reader**

**Nyanvic**

They walked along the dilapidated road for a relatively short time, maybe only a few minutes. All this time, the grotesque robot in front of Shirou was jumping forward, flickering its green eyes while looking so funny in general that a smile periodically crept onto the magician's face, which he didn't bother to hide.

This small ... inorganic creature, at the moment, did not even for a moment thought to leave him in silence to think about his own things. The robot was constantly talking about something: about his village, about others living there and about this Pascal. In addition, Emiya never understood who this mysterious Pascal was supposed to be, as well as the villagers. Were they all robots? Or were there living people or other creatures?

It was difficult for him to put this information in his head. But he did not dare to ask in order to clarify, because he did not want to interrupt this kid. He just talked so enthusiastically that Shirou was slightly mesmerized. He liked talking to children, who were always so spontaneous ... unless they had to grow up early.

Shaking his head, as if deciding in this way to get rid of obsessive thoughts, the man looked around. Nevertheless, for a rather long time, he firstly examined his companion and then looked at his own feet, finally gaining the opportunity to think about his companion's words.

Now it was possible to assess where he was.

He and the kid were surrounded by houses overgrown with moss. Most likely, there was once an inner courtyard between residential buildings. They climbed a small hillock and Shirou slowed down slightly as he scanned the area. Not a single living soul, which even outwardly, even remotely, resembled a person. Only animals and birds, reminding Shirou that he hasn't eaten in a relatively long time. Fortunately, he could endure hunger, he was no stranger to it. Now the most important thing was to take this little robot wherever it asked.

Shirou's gaze settled awkwardly on the steel being. He didn't dare to call it small, because he was at least up to Shirou's waist, but still he treated it like kid, based on what it said. If you think about it, what size are adult robots? And how to deal with them if they try to attack him?

Shirou remembered the recent skirmish with a company of evil-minded robots, and a couple of similar encounters after. They were all the same size, about to his waist, maybe even smaller. And they equally wanted to get to this kid that Shiro was accompanying. Naturally Shirou destroyed them all. Only once did he ponder over their words. One of the robots with glowing crimson eyes suddenly spoke in a gnashing and very mechanical voice something about androids and fakes, as well as the fact that everyone needs to unite into one so that there would be no more suffering ... But Shirou did not understand what it was talking about, because right after that, the chain reaction from the explosion hit it, and some systems inside it detonated.

Naturally, none of them could harm Shirou. They were too weak and Shiro didn't even use Caladbolg to cause a large-scale explosion. Each time in a skirmish with endless, hostile robots, only an arrow pumped up by Prana was enough.

For a second, Shirou even thought that the robots wanted to be killed. They exploded too willingly. But he didn't really want to think about it.

"Hey, kid, is it still far?" Shirou asked his guide.

"Uh ... This is ..." the robot made a funny mechanical sound, which, in contrast to the grinding of its negative counterparts, looked even somewhat funny. "I think no. Over there, see?" he pointed forward with a small hand. Shirou peered in the indicated direction and saw a large building in the distance, the left side of which almost collapsed into an abyss. But before this building and the abyss there was still another four hundred meters to go, as it seemed to Shirou.

"I see ..."

"Over there, and then you will need to go into the forest. And it is close! I'll go there myself."

"Got it," Shirou nodded in the affirmative.

For a while, they walked in silence. Shirou didn't know what to talk about, and the little robot seemed to have finished its endless monologue or was just tired of being answered in such monosyllables.

"If you are not an android, then who are you?" The kid suddenly asked, taking Shirou away from his thoughts.

_And how do you even answer this?_

**Tell** **robot** **that you are an organic life form called Homo Sapiens,** **Apeiron's** voice suddenly rang out in his head. Shirou gave another mental snort and shook his head.

_Will it understand what is it?_

**This is artificial intelligence, Apeiron** said matter-of-factly.

How does he even know such words? It seems that he lived incredibly long ago, when there was no trace of such technologies, but it gives out this. To be honest, Shirou still did not understand how the analysis of this creature works and how it accommodates so much knowledge. **Apeiron** only occasionally shared his knowledge with Shirou, but the rest of the time Emiya did not have access to this endless repository of knowledge. And sometimes he wanted to.

**You'll get by. Your little brain will not be able to withstand such stress.**

_Why should I...?_ Shirou snapped, mentally again.

But there was no answer from **Apeiron** , and Shirou decided to answer the question asked to him.

"I'm an ordinary human. Without going into details ..."

The robot almost stumbled, but stood on its little legs and suddenly turned to him. Green eyes blinked brighter than usual, and seemed to visually become a little larger. Shirou was ready to swear that it he had a mouth, it would be open in the full width available in surprise. For some reason, it seemed like that to him.

 **It's transmitting data, Apeiron's** voice came from within, but Shirou decided to ignore it for now. **It is unlikely that this is a trap. But I still do not want to lose the opportunity to get physical body.**

Shirou smiled slightly. Was **Apeiron** so worried about him or what? It's so funny.

"Real… human?" said the robot in surprise.

"Well, the current me is difficult ... ahem ... Whoever I was. Somewhere they even called me a demon."

Shirou remembered the half curse, half blessing that two ladies from his old world had given him. For some time now, Shirou just couldn't even think of them respectfully, let alone speak.

"De-demon …" the robot squeaked subtly, but Shirou only laughed in response.

"I'm just kidding. It's very difficult to call me a demon. But due to the fact that I do not grow old and possess such powers, I cannot be fully called a human. That is why Im telling you that I am human. Without any details."

For a minute the little robot was silent, blinking its eyes in his direction and then turned and jumped away, apparently silently hinting at Shirou to follow.

"Uncle Pascal should definitely find out about this ... definitely ..."

"Is "Uncle Pascal" also a machine, like you?"

"Oh!" the robot suddenly perked up. "Uncle Pascal is very smart. Much smarter than all of us. He teaches us everything that is possible. To read, to understand everything around, to speak correctly. He teaches us how to communicate with androids, how to live in harmony with ourselves and what surrounds us."

Shirou's mind immediately built a picture of a wise old man with a beard to the waist, gray-haired and very, very old. Only by superimposing robotic body details on this image, Shirou got a very funny and to be honest, ridiculous picture. Now he wanted to talk to the creature that promoted this way of life even more.

Meanwhile they came to the edge of the abyss. As Shirou saw from afar, about ten meters remained from the wall of the building to the edge of the abyss, which was very little. However…

Shirou looked cautiously at the wall of the building, which was very close, and then looked over the edge of the abyss. The fall was high. He may survive, but an ordinary person is unlikely to survive.

The robot ahead of him sped up and jumped faster. Small feet did not allow him to run, so all that was left was to jump and Shirou also had to speed up his pace slightly. About thirty meters ahead, green trees, untouched by civilization, are seen. Rough, in places with gapes and simple holes, but still the asphalt road ended and a simple forest path began.

But Shirou was surprised by the fact that at the edge of the road, there was almost the same robot, like the one that he now accompanied and protected from his own hostile comrades. The other robot was much taller, perhaps compared to Shirou it was not even waist-high, but chest-high. It was also looked funny because where it should have a mouth, it had painted with something bright red lips and starting from the flickering green lights of its eyes, stripes were drawn with something black, vaguely similar to eyelashes. Shadows were also applied there.

For a moment, Shirou thought that Rin would have had a heart attack from that makeup.

Apparently, it was the mother of this little robot. If so, then Shirou's work was completed.

The two robots finally approached each other and spoke, almost in one voice, beginning to apologize to each other. The smaller one, with whom Shirou was walking, began to make sounds that were generally like crying. It sounded vaguely similar and Emiya could only guess what they exactly meant.

"Here, this uncle saved me and escorted me here! Mom, he's a human!"

"Don't be silly, baby, humans are gone for a long time ago." At this moment, Shirou wanted to laugh and be upset at the same time. On the one hand, this was a clear confirmation that people here, if they existed it was a very long time ago, but on the other ... He still could not trust them, whoever they were.

"But it's true! He's really not an android! And not a machine life form either!"

_Machine life form?_

**I think that's what they call their own kind** , **Apeiron's** voice was heard, to which Shirou barely nodded.

"Sunny ... I think the Head should talk to him," said the mother of this robot in a mechanized voice. "Hey, young man, come here please."

Shiro raised his eyebrows slightly in response to the "young man" but still obeyed. This representative of the machine life form did not look dangerous, if only because of the green light in its eyes.

"I thank you for saving my child." It made an awkward movement of its rigid body forward. Shirou thought it was supposed to be a bow. "I'm really very grateful. But, unfortunately, I have nothing to thank you with ..."

"It's my pleasure," Shirou waved his hand, smiling. "I was happy to walk around the neighbourhood. Your kid is very talkative."

The mother's eyes flickered green a couple of times, it turned its head to its child and spoke:

"I hope you didn't bother this uncle?"

"Nope!"

"Not at all."

Both the robot kid and Shiroг said in unison. Blinking its green lights again, the robot pointed with its small hand towards the forest.

"I can't be sure if you're human ... But I think you should talk to the Head of our village, Pascal. He understands all this better than we do. At the same time, I think he will find suitable words of gratitude."

Shirou didn't ask what Pascal was exactly better at. Probably at everything, since two villagers speak so respectfully of him. Well, about the gratitude ... he took its words into consideration. Perhaps they can share information about the world in which Shirou found himself or at least some essential supplies.

**Do you believe that yourself, child?**

_Stop calling me that._

"Okay, I'll meet your Head."

"Then let's go."

And with that, both robots turned away from Shirou and jumped towards the forest. Shirou had no choice but to follow them ...

... But as soon as he entered the forest, something immediately rushed into his vision, alien and at the same time suitable for this environment.

A metal slide, with a rough surface so you can climb up while not afraid to slip. The robots jumped slowly, leaving Shirou to admire the beauty of the untouched forest and marvel at the presence of steel objects here and there.

Climbing up behind them, Shirou opened his mouth in surprise. In the forest, there was built a whole city of steel! His ability to analyse immediately began to stir and the magician, unable to contain himself for a moment, closed his eyes.

"Trace… on!"

Exhaling two cherished words, he opened his eyes, flashing them momentarily. A projection of this whole place immediately took shape in his head. The information that filled the brain was simply overwhelming with its diversity and the whole beauty of this artificially recreated place could not fit in his head. The trees were cleverly braided with steel decorations, which have the same colour scheme as the nature around them and which, however, did not prevent them from growing as they should. In various places in this impromptu city, there were straight staircases, as well as small platforms, from the ground to the tops of the trees, on which there were located small steel boxes with triangular roofs, no more than one square meter in size.

It seems that these machine life forms or simply robots, as, frankly, Shiro was more comfortable calling them, even built their own houses. How much did they learn from humans? Why do robots need a house at all?

Slowly flooded with such thoughts, Shirou moved along the paths, along the edges, braided with ropes in the manner of railings, and looked around. Large robots stood at the borders of the settlement, much different from the cylinder of similar small robots. These were much taller than Shirou and held intimidating-looking axes. They had more advanced limbs, allowing them to actively move, as well as conduct a full-fledged battle. Shirou looked at the guards through his ability to analyse and even that was enough to evaluate.

But what surprised Shirou most of all was that there were robots around, everywhere. Those machine life forms. They were all doing their own business, someone was talking to each other, small robots, the size of which Shirou was escorting and even smaller, ran ... or rather jumped one after another.

Although no ...

Emiya peered far down. No, the smaller robots only ran slowly after each other. They lifted their bodies on small and strong legs and thus moved forward.

Are they playing catch-up like that?

Shirou didn't even know that a wide, fascinated and satisfied smile was shining on his face.

"I welcome you in my village," the mechanized but still soft, even with some kind of gentle notes voice said to Shirou that was enthusiastic about what is happening around. Interested, Shirou turned forward and stumbled upon a robot standing literally two meters away from him, with a cylindrical torso, a head of the same shape, eyes that looked like two large car headlights, and also with good movable limbs. Shirou unconsciously looked at it with his analysis, and found a semblance of a rocket engine, and also ... a sphere filled with unbearably bright light in the very middle of the robot's torso. All the robots that he looked at with the help of analysis had a similar glow, and his eyes were tired of it. But to observe and even more to understand what this is ... Shirou was unable to do so.

 _I should ask Apeiron about this_ , Emiya made a mental note to himself, not finding his roommate in the subcortex of the brain.

"Hello," Shirou greeted politely, not yet knowing how to react to this creature and how to talk to it. The tactics of polite communication are usually chosen with strangers, but Shirou was more familiar with communication with, more often than not, people. "It's so beautiful and calm here."

"I'm glad you like it," the robot said. "My name is Pascal. May I know yours?"

"Emiya Shirou," the Magician simply introduced himself, mentally writing down the name of this robot, which, judging by his information, was the head of the village.

"Emiya Shirou-san ..."

"You can use the name without honorifics," Shirou waved his hand. After thirteen years in Halkeginia, it was unusual to hear again the treatment typical of his homeland. But Shirou will quickly get used to it again if they all talk to each other like that. Pascal blinked its large eyes and tilted his head slightly.

"I've understood you, Emiya-san ..."

Shirou pursed his lips but did not correct it. If it is convenient for it, then let it call him by last name and with honorifics. Emiya wasn't particularly opposed to that, although he would have been more comfortable talking casually. However ... it was not known whether Pascal was its first or last name. Shirou personally knew several examples when this name was both in its use.

"I would like to thank you for saving the resident of my village. This is an invaluable service…" Pascal began, but Shirou immediately interrupted him, even though he realized that it was a little impolite.

"It cost me nothing, believe me," Shirou said. "I can't pass by someone who needed help."

"I see you have a kind soul," Pascal began softly. "Emiya-san… You're not an android, aren't you?"

This is the second time Shirou has been asked this and he still doesn't know who they are. That kid, though it talked a lot about what, but never once mentioned what kind of creatures they were.

"No. I am not an android, and I am not ... a machine life form. Is that what it's called?" Received a nod from Pascal and an interested blink of eyes, Shirou continued. "Pascal ... isn't it? You see ... I am human."

The noise around instantly died down. Shirou looked around awkwardly. He had the feeling that everyone around him was listening to their conversation and was now surprised by this remark. What told Shirou more than anything now was that people were really rare here. If, of course, they still remained at all.

Pascal's eyes blinked frequently and he himself, creaking his steel limbs against the iron covering, came closer to Shirou.

"Very interesting ... I have never seen you with my own eyes," Pascal said very quietly. "It's good that we managed to disconnect from the network. Tell me, Emiya-san, have they seen you yet?"

"They?" Shirou asked, puzzled.

"Our brethren... Only more aggressive minded. If they have already seen you and if you said that you are a human, then everyone already know about it. And then they will come after you" Pascal shook his head sadly. "We won't be able to cover you. Perhaps the Resistance Camp will help you, but definitely not us."

"I can stand up for myself," Shirou said confidently. Pascal in response to this made a sound very similar to a hum or a laugh.

"As far as I know from the chronicles, humans are weak ..."

"Well then, it would be logical to supplement your knowledge about the people of my world," Shirou smiled. Pascal blinked his bright green eyes, as if bewildered, Shiro seemed. "I'm not from this world. I have been here for literally several hours, and I still don't know anything at all and neither about the situation nor about the confrontation, which, judging by your words, exists, nor about androids or machines ... nor about people here. I hoped you would tell me everything."

"Yes ... Yes ..." Pascal nodded its head several times, and then looked up somewhere. "But wow, the other worlds… Truly, Emiya-san, you couldn't have lived here for so long, otherwise we would have already known about you and the androids would have taken care of you. But old books told about other worlds, but I cannot even admit the thought that this may turn out to be true ..."

"Much of what is written in the books may actually turn out to be true," Shirou smiled, recalling particularly vivid details of his life, the Holy Grail War, Heroic Spirits, magic and more.

"Shall we exchange information?" asked Pascal with interest and Shirou only nodded at this and sat down on a branch growing nearby, preparing to listen and tell.

* * *

"The operator is online. Report."

"Operator ... Today we saw something very strange. An android in bright red clothes, with red and white hair. He was observed in the thermal spectrum. We were not advised about additional groups in the area."

"Wait a minute, I'll clarify the information ..."

While waiting, a young man with a black blindfold over his eyes, which is an additional visor system, now and then glanced at the notes that were scrolled by Pod's holographic system. Several images and videos of this creature fighting. And there would be nothing special in it, if not for one but.

This creature, snatched a bow and arrows and then a pair of curved swords right out of the air and with a strange light effect.

And that was not normal. The android young man, being quite curious in himself, has seen a lot in this world, but he has never seen anything like this.

"Thanks for the waiting. Commander on the line, connecting."

"Ah? Ah ... Yes, please."

Literally ten seconds passed and the holographic video recording window changed to a communication window, in which a beautiful woman with long blond hair and a stern look appeared. Quickly, without wasting time, she asked the most necessary info, requested the data that the young man had already sent to the Operator, and for a minute she was silent, pondering what she had heard. By that time, his partner had already approached and stood next to him, showing attention to the Commander with her whole appearance.

"The unit you saw does not belong to YoRHa. Don't take unnecessary risks. Evaluate it from the side. Continually report everything to the Operator, I am waiting for reports."

"Acknowledged, Commander," both said in unison.

"Track down the target. If it poses a serious threat to our plans, destroy it. That's an order. 2B, 9S, is everything clear?"

"It is," the short-haired android girl answered gloomily for the two of them, tightening her grip on the hilt of the snow-white sword.


	4. Chapter 4

**beta-reader**

**Nyanvic**

Sometimes you don't even notice how fast time flies while talking.

Pascal and Shirou, attracting curious glances, forgot themselves in the heat of the conversation. The magician presented the robot with the theory of magic, shared stories about his life, War, Heroic Spirits, hiding almost nothing, even projected one of the swords that was not too energy-consuming. Pascal, in turn, absorbed information with enthusiasm, like a sponge.

And behind all this talk, Emiya realized one thing - these machines were able to sense particles of magic.

And it was, truly, something new - for all the time that Shirou lived in his world, humanity was never able to invent adequate artificial intelligence - they were completely controlled by people in some form, which completely nullified the very concept of AI (not that he would complain about it - it is much easier to fight the enemy when it does not have the computing power of a super-computer, and he did not believe in tales of "stupid" AI). In any case, none of the past "AIs" could even independently grasp the concept of Magic, let alone the likelihood of feeling it.

But these machines could.

Moreover, one can conduct an easy dialogue with them, which he could not afford in previous times. Take, for example, the same Pascal. This wise machine, whose gender Shirou could not identify, told him a lot.

Pascal told him about androids - pseudo-humans whom real humans built in their own image and likeness as a counter to robots. It also informed him about the location of the largest "camp".

But no one could tell him about magic, which, however, was not too surprising - they were instead surprised by the very sentence "magic exists". In truth, he was not sure if the machines understood, what he even asked them - how did they even understand the meaning of the word "magic" if they simply had no concept of it?

So that brought him to the elephant in the room - activating the circuits.

More precisely: the constant complexity and energy consumption that accompany the process itself ... They were absent. Well, almost - compared to past results.

Pascal, sitting quietly after the demonstration of the projected sword, finally started reacting:

"This energy that I feel from your swords, Emiya-san… we all feel its echoes inside us."

Shirou blinked. He suddenly looked around, as if he was suddenly struck by a dusty bag on his head. The robots around him were looking ahead, some at him, some at the sword he hadn't "put away", but he definitely attracted everyone's attention. Their eyes were all blinking green, and he had once again caught himself guessing that they were somehow transmitting information to each other over some kind of network.

It was a little creepy to sit in silence, surrounded by machines, when now and then have their eyes blink at you or creak like poorly oiled doors. However, Shirou had seen even more strange things in his life, so he was already used to it.

"So, it turns out that you are magical creatures? Shirou chuckled wryly. "I expected that you were created by humans."

Pascal shook his head slowly from side to side.

"We've never saw people."

Shirou, who had already heard that they did not saw people, was slightly upset. He hoped to the last and continued to hope that humans in this world are still alive.

But if they aren't ...

He didn't want to think about it. As well as what he will be left to do alone with artificial beings and how exactly to return home ... at least somewhere. Now he would have enjoyed even living with Louise, although most of all he wanted to return home. In his own dimension.

Meanwhile, Pascal, as if anticipating his thoughts, immediately added.

"Unfortunately, I cannot say who created us and when. But this information does not go beyond the network of machines," Pascal said in an apologetic tone. "Not that I didn't want to tell you this, the information is encrypted."

"This is not the most desirable information for me," Shirou dismissed, although inwardly he could not hide his disappointment that he can't learn this. He was curious. "What interests me most is information about the last of the humans. When did they become extinct and how?"

"Unfortunately, we don't know this information," green lights blinked in agreement from everywhere. Shirou was gradually getting used to them and now the group of the artificial but sentient machines didn't seem intimidating. The polite and calm creatures, led by an unusually educated Pascal, could pass for an acceptable company for a long time ...

But Shirou didn't plan to stay long even if he was given a corner here at all. A whole world awaited him, in which people could still be, so he could stay here for a maximum of one day.

"But androids might know more about it."

And then Shirou perked up.

"By the way about them. Who are they?"

'We have a long and rich story with the androids, much longer than with the humans we have only heard of," Pascal looked up somewhere. Around the direction Shirou noticed, the moon had already appeared, as it was late afternoon.

And this was another significant difference. The world finally had only one moon again. But Shirou didn't know if he was happy about it under the circumstances or not.

"Some time ago they appeared. Eerily similar to humans, but emotionless," at this point Shirou could not contain his smirks - the machine tells him about the absence of emotions. "Cruel and not sparing anyone in their path. We still remember that," and again the green eyes blinked in accordance with his words. "They didn't end, like we did, and they got stronger all the time. Evolved as we did ... until eventually, we realized that we had enough. Then I founded a village and met Anemone."

"Anemone?" Shirou asked.

"She is the leader of the Resistance Camp," he immediately continued in response to his silent question. "Camps of resistance to the invasion of machines, of course."

"Are there only androids too?"

"Emiya-san, if people were found, they would already be there," he pointed with his mechanical hand up, somewhere in the direction of the moon.

"And there…?"

"From there, new androids appear. The base of people is on the moon, only this unconfirmed information is known to us. But there is no way for you to get there. Rumour has it that the only surviving people gathered there. A council that controls the YoRHa troops."

"That's their name, I guess?" Shirou asked. "These androids?"

Pascal nodded and although the machines could not show emotions on their faces, Shirou subconsciously felt that everyone felt a little uncomfortable at their mention.

"Elite troops, those who have resisted the machines for many years. Perfect weapons, perfect skills, not a drop of regret and pity for their victims, soldiers as they are."

Shirou gave in to the general mood also flinched slightly. He had something to compare the elite troops of YoRHa. More precisely with whom. Executors and Enforcers of the Clock Tower. The main force that could swaddle any Magician, if they violate the statute of secrecy or breach the law by at least some facet of their activities. But they weren't limited only by Magicians, the subject of their activity was also the destruction of any evil spirits and in particular the Dead Apostles. Shirou briefly mentioned this in his story to Pascal, but now, when the machine mentioned these elite fighters, Shirou wondered if it was really possible to compare them?

And from somewhere within, a strange feeling immediately arose. Despite the fact that he suffered with the representatives of the Clock Tower, it was interesting for him to meet with YoRHa. In the end, with such a "battery", he could now cope even with several opponents on the level of Karin of the Heavy Wind, which in itself was equal to a hundred Enforcers, if not more.

"Not all of them are like that, if I understand correctly?" Shirou asked suddenly, to which Pascal seemed to look at him in surprise, slightly tilting his head to one side.

"Why do you think so, Emiya-san?"

"Resistance Camp. It is rarely called such by those who officially fight on the front lines. Perhaps they are ... different?"

Blinking his eyes several times, Pascal was briefly silent. As he pondered his answer, another thought occurred to Shirou. He just noticed that he speaks his native language, Japanese. And what's more, robots speaks it too. And either it is some kind of technology that allows them to understand him, or ... this thought, Shirou was running out of ideas.

"Yes. They are ... different. Anemone, she's ... good. She works with us. We conduct a mutually beneficial exchange. Oil in exchange for fuel filters, information for information. Books ... and stuff."

"Knowledge," Shirou smiled.

"Including knowledge," Pascal nodded.

Shirou mentally wrote down his to-do list to get to this Resistance Camp to talk to its inhabitants. Perhaps they, as those who communicate with these YoRHa, know something about humans? Perhaps it will be possible to understand how Shirou got in here and for what purpose. It was a little sad to think that his adventure had ended and he was just sent home. Nearly home.

He was much more reluctant to think that these deserted, abandoned lands were his home. Somewhere there is his own Fuyuki ...

"In the meantime, Emiya-san," Pascal spoke up and Shirou caught himself thinking that he hadn't listened to him for about a couple of minutes, immersed in thoughts and memories of home. "I don't mind you staying here. Night is coming; you had better spend the night somewhere within my village. Here, it's guaranteed that no one will attack you, and the company of my people is definitely better than ..."

He didn't finish speaking, and Shirou understood perfectly well what he was talking about.

"Thank you for the invitation," Shirou said immediately. "Fortunately, I can stand up for myself. I have enough swords in my arsenal."

"There are more machines than weapons of yours," Pascal pointed out gently, in Shirou's opinion without the intention of challenging his idea. As if he just stating a perfectly obvious fact.

Shirou chuckled again. Some part of the mind could no longer wait for a meeting with a large cluster of machines or with someone stronger, so that he could test himself and the swords. But the other part was desperately opposed to it, saying that the brain lives better with the body than without one.

Shirou agreed with the last judgment.

"Before night falls, you can walk around the village and talk to my brethren. I think they will be happy to share their thoughts with you and hear something from you. Make yourself at home."

"Thank you very much for your hospitality, Pascal," Shirou bowed slightly, to which Pascal only mysteriously blinked his green visors, which replaced his eyes.

Getting up from the branch on which he had been sitting all this time, and slightly warming up, Emiya looked around. The machines, crowded around for some time, exchanged blinks of their eyes, as if some kind of secret code, and returned to their business, starting to do their things. And they really behaved like a real human settlement.

The children, as Shirou mentally christened the smaller robots, began to run around and talk with each other about something unintelligible and ... joyfully? .. shouting. Adults, bigger machines, of various shapes and sizes, talked to each other, designed something, and someone even, with a clumsy and very ancient-looking broom, swept metal paths around the large branches of the tree on which this tiny settlement was located.

Shirou, however, did not quite understand why they talk to each other, if they can transmit everything through this network, and in general why imitate everyday human behaviour this much, but decided not to bother too much with this. You never know what is there in the world. Someone doesn't believe in magic, but it does exist.

Walking down the road, Shirou spotted the exact same ancient beverage machine. What was funny that the LCD screen, which was still operational and displayed a black and white image of an intricate pattern. Deciding to come back to this later, he went to the edge of the platform, from which the tracks were laid out, and looked down. About fifteen meters below, other machines were doing their own things in the same way, but in addition, with his constantly strengthened gaze, Shirou also noticed two indistinct shadows at the very edge of the settlement, near the tree crown. The shadows seem to have decided to hide from everyone, but even if the machines knew about them, they apparently ignored them or on the contrary, were afraid to approach.

"Pascal," Shirou called to a machine that was reading a book nearby, who immediately noticed him. "And these two…?"

"Ah," Pascal blinked his eyes. "They're from the Resistance Camp. They asked for a while and I let them in. I simply have no reasons not to let them in and therefore my people simply do not contact them, as they do with us."

"So that's it..."

For some reason, it seemed to Shirou that Pascal would not approve of the fact that he would start pestering these settlers with conversations. Not that he needed the machine's approval, but you have to play the game according to the local rules... And Shirou decided to follow these rules.

Not far away on the same floor, of which there were several, Emiya noted, was a steel staircase. Shirou had no idea how such machines would climb it, but he decided to climb up himself and see what was on the other floor.

But it turned out there was nothing different. Small, single cabins, it seems, served as a sleeping place for machines, the same road made of metal plates, but on one side it ended with a bridge leading somewhere into the forest. And in the distance ... Shirou even rubbed his eyes, surprised. No, his eyes were definitely not deceiving. In the distance were towers, buildings, and swirling roller coaster rails!

Is the amusement park here? Shirou could only guess why and for what, as he also noticed the fireworks from above, which soon have ended.

"Pascal, is this really an amusement park there?" Shirou asked, in surprise, all at the same head of the village, since the place where he was sitting was very close.

Pascal looked up from his book and blinked a couple of times in the direction of the park.

"Yes. Our comrades live there, who also live peacefully and support life in that place."

"Is it permanently? And for whom?" Shirou's surprise knew no bounds. If people were really gone, then for whom did they keep all this there?

"Yes, all the time. You know, Emiya-san, machines don't need rest and sleep, that would be a too thorough imitation of human activity. Therefore, fun and joy are there around the clock. I would advise you to go there sometime, but ..."

Then Pascal hesitated and somehow, as if awkwardly, fell silent. Shirou waited a minute and then called out to the machine, which had come to its senses.

"The centre of the park is dominated by ... a damaged machine life form. Its mind is clouded and I don't even want to think about the fact that someone might be hurt by its actions. But no one is there, and therefore the danger ... does not threaten anyone."

Shirou narrowed his eyes. Pascal obviously kept something back, and he would like to find out ... But then again, if Pascal did not want to speak about this, then who is Shirou to pull information out of him by force? He can always come there himself and finds out what kind of corrupted machine is there and why it is so dangerous. If this helps the machines that live there, then Shirou will happily spend his time on it.

He smiled faintly.

After all, the Hero of Justice seeks to help everyone. Even machines that, among other things, look so much like humans.


	5. 5

**beta-reader**

**Nyanvic**

The night passed unusually quickly for the Magician.

Quite late, almost morning, Shirou settled down by the warm, from the daylight, the tree crown, leaning against it, and fell asleep. There was again little sleep and therefore, as soon as dawn broke and he woke up, endless yawns began again. Well, at least these machines cannot yawn, otherwise everyone would probably have already become infected with a well-known disease of mankind when you look at someone yawning and yawn yourself.

In fact, at night, it seemed to Shirou that the robots did not sleep. One time he woke up, literally for a couple of minutes. For a moment he was seized with panic, due to the fact that he had forgotten where he was, but then immediately saw eyes blinking as if in turn. The robots seem to have settled and structured the information flowing through their network.

From what Shirou understood, these very machine life forms, separated from the common network, are not only in this village. They are literally everywhere. Therefore, the information is structured neatly, so that it would be convenient to use it later.

If a human could easily do what they did ... Shirou was even slightly jealous of this ability. Of course he had his own treasury, but thoughts could not be stored there!

After that, Shirou then blinked, looked and quickly found himself lulled by an even greenish glow that was, oddly enough, very soothing.

At any other time, Emiya would never have fallen asleep, but here ... it was so peaceful. The magician even considered asking Pascal for permission to spend the night here. After all, here no one will attack him. It was a completely safe place.

Morning came quickly, but Shirou at least had time to rest. In his wanderings, he had to sleep in many conditions, sometimes even in very uncomfortable ones, and therefore, despite the fact that he slept while sitting, he still rested normally. Shirou stretched and got to his feet and looked around. The robots around were no longer blinking their visors, but simply stood in some places. It feels like they were just turned off. But the most logical explanation would be the thought that they are ... asleep.

After spending some time looking at unresponsive robots and then after a simple morning warm-up, Shirou looked at the sun that slowly, as if lazily, is rising from the horizon. Bright red and still not as blinding, it was just rising and did not had the time to warm up the ground that had cooled down during the night.

Here in the forest, as Emiya noted, the sun did not have such a strong power, and therefore it was not particularly noticeable how the earth warmed up or cooled down. The temperature in the forest was practically unchanged. Shirou even thought for a minute about some kind of technology that kept the temperature constant. It was unlikely, and there was no one to really ask.

It seemed to Shirou that Pascal simply would not understand him.

Anyway, besides thinking about it, Shirou was already thinking about what he can eat. One could have looked for some animals, but the idea of starting a fire in the forest seemed ... wrong.

The stomach shrilly expressed its displeasure at the thought and Shirou sighed in sorrow.

"Emiya-san."

All of a sudden, a voice came from behind, but, to his credit, Shirou didn't jump or even flinch. He turned and saw Pascal, whose visors glowed evenly.

"I'm surprised, Pascal. You were able to get close completely unnoticed. This is a sign of professionalism. Ever thought about espionage and surveillance?"

"You flatter me, Emiya-san." Pascal made a slight grinding sound that could be considered a laugh. "I don't need it," it rode a little closer to me and only then I noticed that his limbs were not empty. "Actually, I heard the needs of your body, Emiya-san ..."

In his hands was a simple iron mug, but it was not empty. Steam was emanating from her, as well as a smell ... Shirou looked at the mug slightly surprised, trying to figure out what could be there.

"Is it? .."

"This is tea. Humans used to drink it from time to time. It would be more correct to call it a herbal tincture," Pascal tilted his head to look into the mug, and then stretched out his hands with it towards Shiro. "Take it, Emiya-san. I can't vouch for the taste, but I followed exactly the original recipe that Anemone once found."

It smelled like herbs, Shirou felt it immediately. There was no need for Pascal to poison the Magician, so he decided that it would be okay for him to drink it ... whatever it really was.

Slightly freeing himself from suspicion, Shirou took the hot mug in his hands then hesitated for a second and sipped. A pleasant wave of shades of mint and some kind of fruit rolled down his throat and immediately fell somewhere down into his stomach, pleasantly warming and giving clarity to his thoughts. Emiya took another sip, and then another immediately without thinking, until finally the drink ended.

Sighing contently, Shirou handed the mug to Pascal's outstretched hand and Pascal drove off a little and put it on the shelf.

"Thank you," the Magician sincerely thanked. The hunger has receded a little, but it would still be nice to have something to eat during the day. However, Shirou saw no problem in this anymore. Catching some deer and roasting cuts of meat ... not such a big deal.

And for now…

"You are welcome," Pascal returned to Shirou. "Are you leaving now, Emiya-san?"

"Yes, I guess." Shirou reached for the top of his head and scratched the back of his head. "The sooner I get to them, the better, I think. I am still interested to learn information about humans and about Androids."

Shirou bowed slightly, out of an old and forgotten habit. Hearing native speech, observing familiar behaviour, albeit from machines, Shirou unconsciously began to return to the long forgotten past. To the memories of a life that he himself once lived on a sunny island country.

"You can always come back, Emiya-san," Pascal said cheerfully, and Shirou looked at him a little surprised. He expected to be invited, it was a welcoming place after all, but he did not think that it would be as simple as that ...

It made him happy. Now Emiya could return here again with peace of mind, knowing that somewhere in this strange and unfamiliar world, he now had a refuge.

"I am sincerely grateful for your concern, Pascal. I don't want to make you uncomfortable once more, but I'll come."

"We'll be waiting, Emiya-san."

Once again, with shallow but sincere bow, Shirou turned and walked away. He did not have any supplies with him, and therefore, quickly descending from the metal paths, he, along a narrow forest path, headed for the exit.

He already knew in advance where to go, since he had asked Pascal about it in the evening, and therefore walked confidently, not particularly afraid of getting lost. One way or another, he will come out of the forest if he goes this way, but what will happen next ... he would think about it after learning the situation.

Shirou decided to keep at least one sword ready just in case. Of course, he can quickly and easily project any sword ... not even that … Any weapon.

But when the sword hangs behind his back ... it's calming.

Therefore, a long, more than a meter, slightly curved blade rested on Shirou's belt. He had not taken it in his hands for a very long time and for the first time projected in this world, he sincerely apologized.

This sword, when it was in the hands of a nameless swordsman, did not defended against the strongest hero of ancient Greece. He was able to keep in place a servant of the sword, whose equal he had never seen. Though it was temporarily, he succeeded.

With the ability to touch the Second Magic and striking three times simultaneously, this blade was an irreplaceable treasure in Shirou's hands.

Monohoshizao.

Shirou lovingly stroked the rough handle. Partly he could not wait to use his help again, although he did not want to fight once again. But the Magician did not believe that other machines would just leave him alone. According to Pascal's stories, they will attack even if he just walks by.

And given the ubiquitous network of machines, probably all units already knew about him. And all of them will attack him as soon as they get to see him, with the intention of killing him or something worse.

Shirou grinned inwardly, but only a faint smile touched his lips.

_Let them try ..._

Following exactly the same route that he took when he went into the forest, Shirou made his way to the cliff that had impressed him earlier. The abyss was incredibly deep, and the Magician wondered: will everything be all right with him if he falls into it? No, he was not going to try, he was just wondering.

Shirou still learning about his body and its capabilities. Sometimes by himself, and sometimes he was prompted by Apeiron. And these are the periods of thoughtfulness that sometimes put Shirou into a state of shock. No, he honestly didn't want to try jumping from a height ...

He walked to the very edge and looked down. It was so far away that the bottom was not visible. It was about half covered with fog.

... About a hundred meters. Maybe more.

And so, at times, such thoughts made Shirou very stressed. Emiya shook his head and walked away from the cliff, heading in the opposite direction. If you look at the place where he originally came from with the kid machine, then he will have to go to the left, and not straight.

So Shiro did it. Walking towards the old, dilapidated skyscrapers, he tried not to think about anything. But it turned out rather poorly, because thoughts swarmed in his head like insects, and he simply could not turn away from them.

How did he get here? This question is still relevant, although it partly has an answer. But why? What he has to do here? Whom to save? Are there people left?

None of this was known.

And so all that remained was to go ahead, find thinking beings (besides Pascal and village's machines) and try to find out something. At least something.

Also…

Shirou froze near the small machines wandering back and forth. But it was not they who attracted his attention, but a flow with probably clear water. Squatting next to is, Shirou put his hand into the water.

A pleasant feeling of coolness.

"Okay, there's nothing to lose anyway ..."

He took water in folded hands and drank a little. After waiting a few seconds for the sake of formality, he nodded in satisfaction: the water was drinkable. And in this world, as he understood, he would have to stock up on provisions to the maximum.

And so for the next few minutes, Shirou spent filling several of the flasks that were in the subspace of his Sarras scabbard. In general, he had a lot of little things there, sometimes useful, and sometimes not very much. Shirou sometimes did not notice how unconsciously he was acting by throwing various things into his treasury. He would empty it someday. The only thing he needed not to forget was that there might be something important and useful.

The rest is certainly not important.

Throwing flasks of water into the opened portals, Shirou continued on his way. The machine lifeforms blinked at him with interest in their visors, but did not pay much attention. So does Shiro. A non-aggression policy is just fine when both sides adhere to it. And Shirou hoped that he would not meet any hostile units until the camp.

Passing the bridge, he finally came out to a wide area, which probably previously had been a four-way intersection, because high-rise buildings stood in a square on all sides. And now, it would seem, he was already very close – Shirou recognized the place that Pascal had told him about – a small rise, and an entrance to a dilapidated building hung with a tarpaulin.

But no such luck, huh.

Shirou was about to walk past several machines that were very different from each other in shape, but they suddenly turned their heads towards him, and their visors blazed red. Mentally, Emiya sighed sadly, because he still had to fight again, but some distant part of his mind was glad: there was a reason to warm-up.

"Hey, guys, how about we disperse peacefully?" Shirou tried to reason with them, however, not really hoping for anything.

But the machines didn't even listen to him. They armed themselves with something, and one, made in the form of ... something resembling the blades of a helicopter, quickly spun heading towards him.

"Unidentified life form…"

"Adnroids…"

"Kill…"

"Adnroids…"

"Unidentified life form…"

They all repeated and repeated these words, with their artificial, ear-cutting mechanical voices. Shirou realized that there was nothing to hope for and slowly uncovered Monohoshizao's blade. Grasping its handle with both hands and holding it in front of him with the tip of the blade pointing upward, Shirou watched the approaching machine life forms, expecting anything. He hadn't seen anyone like that yet, and therefore did not know what aces they could hide up their sleeve.

But here one of the robots rushed towards him. It was small, not like the ones he fought, but still much smaller than the one on the right, for example.

Sharply stepping backwards with his right foot, Shirou easily pushed off with his left foot, reaching a distance beyond their reach, and brought his sword to his left shoulder. As soon as his right hand reached its limit, he removed his left hand from the blade handle and sharply slashed in a diagonal from top-left to right-down, splitting the machine, which got too close.

Sinking down on both feet, Shirou took the same stance as if nothing had changed and held the sword in front of him, this time aiming at the nearest machine and smiling softly. He expected a little more resistance, at least in the material of the machines themselves. It was undoubtedly steel, but he could not say with certainty which one and what was in its composition.

However, Monohoshizao could cut virtually anything, and considering that Shirou had strengthened it in advance, there was definitely nothing to be afraid of. One way or another, in the worst case of development, he will activate the sword barrage. After all, there were enough blades in his collection.

"If only they knew," thought Shirou with a grin, watching how quickly the crimson visors of the machines blinked.

"Analysis ..."

"Adnroid…"

"Not quite ..."

"Adnroid…"

"Analysis ..."

 _Not quite?_ Shirou thought. _I am not android, but can they even understand that? Or are they so much more stupid than their pacifistic brethren?_

"Analysis data is incorrect ... Destroy!"

The largest of them, higher than Shirou, with an axe in his hands, rushed towards Shirou, lifting the axe heavily. Despite how big he seemed, and how his weapon seemed to be dangerous and capable of cutting down Shirou, it did not instil fear in the mage. The enemy approached from the right and Shirou was about to react, but something distracted him for a moment.

"Hey, look! Do you see it too?"

A voice in the distance. Shirou didn't pay attention to it and simply ignored it, although the sound came from roughly where the entrance to the resistance camp should have been.

_Okay, I'll just deal with this first ..._

At first, Shirou thought to stand in the Noble Phantasm activation stance, and already took his leg back, but then he thought that since he already had spectators, it would be better to deal with the machines the other way.

Oh, he will leave it for later.

Two quick cuts, one almost vertical, from the shoulder to the bottom, and the other horizontally diagonal, from the right shoulder to the left one, from Shiro's side, rib. The machine could not stand the damage and detonated. Others did not stop there, and also attacked him.

But Shirou didn't spend a lot of time on them, without playing, pretending or something like that.

Several smooth, but very sharp movements along with this, and only one of them remained. The one that looked like helicopter blades reinforced with additional details.

"No way, did you see that?"

"That nuts!"

Shirou smiled out of the corner of his lips. It so happened that he stood with his back to these androids, and therefore they could not know that he heard them. Therefore, he decided to deal with this "swallow" the way the original owner of this sword did.

"Look ..."

Putting his right leg back, and leaving his left parallel to his right, he stood sideways to the machine, lowered his knees slightly, and placed the blade next to his face, holding the handle with both hands and pointing with the edge of the sword directly at the machine, which soared in the air in front of him.

" _ **Hiken…"**_

The machine rushed forward in the last desperate attempt to reach him, even though all its comrades were defeated and already scattered to pieces.

"… _**Tsubame Gaeshi!"**_

A sacred technique unique to the whole world. It touches the Second Magic, allowing the user to strike three hits at the same time. You don't have to be a magician; you don't even have to know what magic is ...

Only desire is enough. After all, Sasaki Kojiro wanted only to hit the swallow flying in the sky.

And Shirou desires to hit the enemy.

And to do it effectively, because his ego insisted so, while making itself clear sometimes. Indeed, now he had spectators.

Freezing in the final pose for a couple of seconds, Shiro stepped forward with his right foot and struck a diagonal blow from top to bottom. Then a blow from top to bottom. And then another one on the left diagonally.

But none of them reached the enemy. They all waited until Shirou finished the technique. Only then could they hit their target.

The final point of the split was a blow from the bottom up, from the left on the diagonal. The machine did not have time to react to this, moreover, it probably did not even understand how this was possible, because Shirou was acting differently from what the machines could even imagine.

Straightening, Shirou slung Monohoshizao over his shoulder and turned to face the gaping androids. Both were men, one of them was bald and well built, and the other a little smaller, and with hair tied in a small ponytail.

"Bro, that was something!" shouted the one that is larger. "What squad are you from?"

Shirou carefully sheathed the sword after shaking off the dust.

Half lay the sword; half pull the scabbard. This is how you show respect.

And then Monohoshizao lay behind his back. From there, Shirou would have been able to get it most conveniently. Emiya walked towards the two androids and, approaching a distance of about two meters, deigned to answer the question.

"I would like to talk to Anemone. Pascal directed me to you."

"Okay. You will. Where're you from?"

Shirou hesitated for a moment. He has to answer quickly or they might suspect something was wrong. It looks like he was mistaken for his own. Or didn't?..

"I'm from the squad in the west. I was sent to help. I heard you have a problem with machines."

The guys looked at each other, but then smiled.

"Clear. Yes, we have. Come on, come in. We will now guide you to Anemone."

Shirou sighed with relief. They believed him. The most important thing now is to talk to this very Anemone and determine the course of his next actions.

Shirou followed the two androids to the camp site. It was an inhabited place, little more than a yard. There were people everywhere ... Shirou could have said that, but most likely they were just androids. Each of them went about his own business. Nobody was sitting around. Shirou could clearly see how one of them was picking up and sharpening a sword from the wreckage. Another was working with the microcircuit. The third did something with the plants, and the fourth was working at the interface, which looked like a virtual screen hanging right in front of her face.

It was quite interesting and ... cozy here? In some places, Shirou saw tables and chairs. Perhaps there are even beds somewhere. It will be wonderful. God knows, for how long he did not sleep in bed.

The androids took him to a distant corner, located in the far side of the courtyard. There was a table, and behind it were large boxes that looked like old computers. But there was no one behind it.

Whispers could still be heard from behind, but Shirou decided to ignore them. The feeling of insecurity was in no hurry to raise her head, and despite the fact that he was so easily accepted, Shiro himself thought it might be for the best. Maybe at least this time everything will go well and failures will not follow him?

... However, he was Emiya Shirou, what the hell is "normal"?

Out of the corner of his ear, Shirou heard a harmonious click, and before he even had time to look back, something steel pressed against the back of his head.

"Hands behind your head. Just try to twitch, I'll knock all the microcircuits out of your head."

The voice from behind spoke quietly but clearly enough for Shirou to understand.

Somehow this is what I was expecting.

Shirou put his hands behind his head and turned slowly. A fairly wide barrel of a weapon looked straight into his face, and a dark-skinned woman was holding it in her hands.

"And when did she get here?"

And behind her, at least twenty guns were also aimed at him and would definitely riddled him if he twitched or said something wrong.

"Smart boy," the women said. "There are no squads in the west. There is a desert. There are no androids. Not at all. Only enemies."

Shirou sighed softly, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. Everything went as it should without excesses and life-threatening situations for far too long apparently.

"So who are you?" She asked again.

In which Shirou just grinned and dropped his hands.

"I'm not your enemy ..."

And then a shot rang out.

… _**To be continued…**_


	6. 6 chapter

**_beta-reader_ **

**_Nyanvic_ **

A shot rang out. Shirou couldn't even orient himself because he was immediately pushed out of reigns of consciousness. The only thing he managed to notice was that the muzzle of the weapon was not directed at him. It was directed away from his head.

Surely, these androids are not exactly villains, aren't they?

A shot thundered through Shirou's head. All magical circuits were instantly activated and the last thing Emiya heard before he lost control of his body was the voice of **Apeiron** :

**Move.**

After that he could only observe, just as he always does in situation like that. Alone, in emptiness, unable to do anything and influence something.

But now it was not required. Emiya Shirou's eyes lit up with a bright, blinding gold, he pulled himself back and his hand flew up, intercepting a piece of steel.

 **Apeiron** looked curiously at the small bullet, twisted by the pressure of his fingers, and turned his gaze to Anemone. And that it was her, Shirou had no doubts. She was quite charismatic, all the androids grouped behind her and were ready to attack on the first command. Shirou did not see or know any certain reasons why she could be considered the leader, but it seemed such. Her behavior. Her posture and her manner of speaking. It is what tells that she is who leads the Resistance Camp. Not anyone else. Only she herself.

" **Calm down, child. Don't you understand what I'm saying?"**

"What are you…" Anemone muttered cautiously, but did not dare to do anything yet.

But immediately after his phrase, Apeiron again gave way to Shirou, refusing to be involved in amateur performances anymore. This gesture actually seemed pretty silly in every sense, but Shirou couldn't help but admit the fact that he made an impression. At least he made them listen to him. And that was already a progress.

" **Making room for you, boy."**

_Oh, thanks…_

"Forgive my friend, he can be quite hot-tempered sometimes," Shirou chuckled wryly. "I really don't want to do you any harm. I arrived with extremely good intentions."

"You're ... quite strange," concluded the head of the Resistance Camp, lowering her weapon. Perhaps she realized that she could not harm him and perhaps she was convinced by that demonstration. However, the two can overlap.

"A lot of people say that," Shirou muttered, watching as Anemone waved her hand back and all the androids dropped their weapons as if one. "My name is Emiya Shirou. I have been called here to help you. Probably…"

And thus the Magician held out his hand to the android woman. For a few seconds she looked at it in bewilderment, but did not resist the gesture, only sighed sadly. And still she shook the hand. Her grip was pretty tight. Shirou, unwittingly expected that androids will have strong and rigid bodies, and that even their outer appearance will not be as it seems, but ...

He was wrong. Anemone's hand felt very soft. Shirou immediately realized that she was not real, she was missing something ... But she wasn't rigid at all. He could even say more, the hand was clearly calloused, like it belong to a long-trained swordsman. Shirou hadn't seen a sword behind her belt or anywhere else, so he could assume that her calluses were associated with hard work and a dangerous life.

Why do he thinks that? It is easy to assume that. Since this is a Resistance Camp, it is likely that everyone present here are participating in skirmishes in one way or another. Espionage, various underground activities, secret murders, intelligence gathering – all this was a matter of resistance.

The only problem was that such resistance was usually against the tyrannical government or something else. One way or another in a developed city.

And what is here? An empty world in which there are only androids and only machines. Why would they have a Resistance Camp here, to be very honest?

"Okay, Emiya Shirou. My name is Anemone, and I run everything here. So which squad are you from?"

Now the moment of truth has come for Shirou. Here and now, the questions will arise: will they believe him or not? Will he be permitted to get their intelligence or not? Will they kill him or not?

... Okay, the last one can be crossed out, because by using magic, Shirou can break out of the Camp and run away. He didn't want to kill anyone anyway. Besides, if he really is the last person, then he should probably be appreciated?

Or on the contrary, killing him because he is a relic of the past.

"You see ... I'm not from any squad. I'm not from here at all. How should I say ... " The tense gazes of the androids converged on him, and Shirou felt a little uncomfortable. "Okay, I'll tell you as it is. I'm not an android. And not a machine life form. I am human."

* * *

Attacker number two followed this strange creature in a scarlet cloak. She quickly sorted out the machine that bothered her, and began to look for this strange machine.

In fact, she was wrong to say it was a machine. She could not understand who it was, because the machines are not displayed in the thermal spectrum and do not have such strange abilities. Also, it could not be a machine life form, because they do not have such forms at all.

Therefore, who was he?

She had to find him and find out everything. Before it's too late.

But as soon as she found him, something very unusual happened. The number two could not understand what was in front of her eyes. This is the same weird creature she was looking for! He fought the damned machines, but so well and successful that she did not even understand how ...

Wait ... he was playing with them! Light, relaxed movements. Not a drop of tension. He dealt with them in less than two minutes!

The number two herself would have been able to deal with them as well, but the way he did it ... was just ideal. Number two caught herself thinking that she could not take her eyes off the sight. She even thought it would be a very good idea to fight him.

After all, a renegade like her can afford a lot. YoRHa no longer limited her and could not influence her in any way. Except to send unlucky killers, like Battler and Scanner.

A2, remembering the scene in the forest, shook her head. She has completed her task there, but she did not really succeed in fighting. And there was no reason to do so, to be honest.

The only thing that was important now was to find out who he was ...

Wait! Where did he go?!

A2, lost in thought, did not notice at all how she had lost sight of this creature. She jumped down from the building and ran to the very entrance to the Resistance Camp. But she didn't go in. But she heard a gunshot.

"He's probably having fun there," A2 muttered, looking thoughtfully inside, but not seeing anything. As soon as she was about to go home and look for other machines, the same set of machine that were patrolling here literally landed from the sky. "However ... I will also have fun myself."

She drew a short sword from her back and silently, without any furious cries, rushed to the enemies.

* * *

"What are you… saying…" Anemone lowered her weapon with a trembling hand and retreated a couple of steps. "The Creators ... Wait! Isn't your base on the moon? You're all there! Why are you ... you ... why are you here?"

Shirou watched in amazement as the previously self-confident android confusedly tried to sort out her thoughts and behaviour. He was right: humans here are respected and held in high esteem. But he didn't even think to use it. The only thing he wanted was to help, and those were his sincere thoughts.

"You're not quite right, Anemone," Shirou said, looking at the confused head of the Camp, as well as glancing around at the rest of the androids.

They watched him spellbound, already without a drop of hostility in their looks and postures, without any tension. They all waited for what he would say, as if they expected him to bring good news with him, perhaps news of a new weapon that would put an end to the machines or even the end of war.

Shiro looked into hopeful eyes, at people ... androids ... so human-like, and quietly hated himself for undermining their hope of a better outcome like that. But he had to tell them the truth. Fighters like them have the right to know.

The mage swallowed a heavy lump in his throat and whispered softly, knowing that they all would hear him.

"I don't know anything about humans on the moon. I'm not ... not from there," Anemone blinked, but she was silent, unable to squeeze out a word. "I'm a real one human. But not of this world. And I don't know anything about the current situation."

The androids whispered, but the voice was taken over by Anemone again.

"Then who ... are you? For what?"

"I am Hero of Justice," Shirou introduced himself shortly, slapping his chest with his palm. "All my life, I have protected humans. As long as I can remember."

"But people have been on the moon for a very long time…" someone said.

Anemone looked back at the speaker and Shirou just shook his head.

"I'm not from this world. My ... patrons, brought me into this world. So someone needs help here. This is a prerequisite."

"Machines ... Living machines ... He will help us ... Maybe the war will end ..."

Whispers had followed here and there, the androids started talking and began to talk to each other louder and louder. For a moment, it seemed to Shirou that everyone had forgotten about him, and only Anemone looked at him with all her attention, without looking away. Emiya didn't even know what she was thinking, he couldn't even imagine.

"Remember my friend?" Shirou reminded them all as the hum began to settle. "I have powers that can help end the war once and for all. If we are to unite, then everything will be much easier. Believe me."

**Who said a king was a playmate for a pig?**

**Apeiron** snapped off in Shirou's head.

_Your Grace, did you mean to say «goose» not «king»?_

But no one answered him, since the king that shared his mind with him was rather touchy. Despite all his arrogance, his strength exceeding the boundaries of reason, his character was ... to put it mildly ... irrepressible. Fickle.

Shirou, thinking about him, always remembered his friend, Tohsaka Rin.

And the androids clearly remembered how **Apeiron** in Shirou's body caught a bullet with his bare hands. Shirou himself didn't even feel anything, but some respect for the King's actions additionally appeared.

"I see," Anemone seems to have come to her senses. "What kind of help can we give you?"

She clearly regained her senses, and seems to have made up her mind to address Shirou. Not polite tone anymore, but more casual. And Emiya was happy with that. It was too much to have adult peo… damn it! .. androids being so polite to him. From what Shirou understood from Pascal, androids are not limited to the age of a hundred years as humans. They can live many times, many times longer. So any of these guys and girls could have been several times older than Shirou.

And it was impressive.

Fixing on his eyes onto the same Anemone, Shirou could not even guess how old she was. No, appearance-wise it is clear, she looks twenty-eight years old. Maybe thirty-two. But mentally? .. Who knows except for Anemone? For example, Shirou himself doesn't look seventy either, so what? ..

… So nothing.

"The most obvious one," Shirou smiled. "Information exchange. Tell as much as possible about the enemy."

* * *

_He woke up in the sands again. His head, if you can call it that, didn't hurt this time, but he felt a strange dizziness. It wasn't pain. It just seemed that he had a little less strength._

_And he didn't know why._

" _I have to get out of here ... To home again."_

_The Maso in the atmosphere did not diminish, there were exactly the same number as before, and therefore he could easily restore his strength whenever he wanted. Even now, he was already feeling better._

_But it was hot._

_But…_

_Why did it seem to him that he was not alone anymore?_

" _Nier ... Kaine ... Weiss ... Wait just a little longer ..."_

* * *

"I think now I should apologize, Emiya Shirou ..."

Now that Anemone spoke loudly, Shirou could hear and make out her voice normally. Slightly rough, her voice reminded him of Caster's one. Medea of Colchis, despite her mentally unstable character, was a very attractive woman, and it could not be denied that many men would like her. And Anemone reminded him slightly of her. But only with a voice. Fortunately, the android did not have elongated ears, purple hair, and an overwhelmingly strong supply of magical attacks. And also fox-like cunning and mischief.

"You shouldn't, Anemone," Shirou waved his hands in front of him. This time he managed to make this gesture normally, so that no one would think anything bad. He didn't mean anything, did he? "We all have hard times."

"We should all understand that," she nodded firmly. "We have several passphrases. Our units are not located in all places, and the desert is one of the places in which, basically, no one is stationed. Therefore, when you said that you came from the "west", I immediately became wary."

"I understand," Shirou nodded back. "I myself would probably have reacted the same way. But it was still a little dangerous."

"I beg your pardon," Anemone muttered, and then pursed her lips and frowned slightly. For some reason, Shirou thought that she didn't often have to say such words. Even so, an apology will never be superfluous.

"That's okay, it's a military situation."

"For your age, you are quite wise." Anemone gave Shirou a top-to-bottom look, assessing his age. However, she was mistaken, as were everyone who tried to guess how old he was. "For your thirties ..."

"You too look on your thirties," Shirou replied with a grin. "But nevertheless, I'm over seventy. And you ... I don't even know."

Anemone opened her mouth slightly. She did not expect such numbers, and mentally pretended to look at the old people and their guest. And the images clearly did not fit. Which caused slight interference in the logical system.

"I'm an android," she said slightly offended. "I can't get old, but you ..."

Shirou almost laughed out loud when he heard her answer. Have even androids been taught the female habit of being offended by age questions? It's hard to believe, but he just got direct evidence.

"I'm getting old. But very slowly. Seventy years have passed, and I look thirty. It will take the same amount of time, and maybe I will look forty. And then ... Who knows. Perhaps I will not be alive further at all. My contract lasts as long as anyone in the world needs my help."

Anemone fell silent, considering his words. It definitely seemed to her that he was not saying something, but she didn't want to disturb him again. A real human in her Camp ... well, wow. Who would have thought? And who will believe? She will keep these memories forever, if, of course, she does not die.

"Everything that you told me about machines, Anemone ... Is it true? Shirou asked suddenly. The android looked at him in bewilderment. "It looks and sounds very unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, I believe you, but I myself ... have met a few machines. And so I just can't bring myself to believe these stories."

"It's all true," she assured him. "Even though it's hard to believe, you have to do it. You have to believe and accept the truth, because this is a war."

Her tone suddenly became serious again, and it seemed to Shirou that it was quite rare for her to behave as cheerfully and directly as when she spoke to him. And it was even pleasant, because during these couple of days there was just not enough of such simple conversations. And although androids are not people, they carefully imitate people. So Shirou has someone to protect in this world.

He did not really want to interfere the war of androids and humans, but pondering everything he had heard from Anemone and Pascal, Shirou understood that this whole war as a whole was tied not only to the attack and destruction of androids. It was directed first of all on the people themselves.

Perhaps ... something will change his mind later. But for now ... for now, he lives in this world, and will fight for those who yearn for help.

After all, one of Shirou's main goals is to find his summoner. Someone called him, and they are definitely not androids, because they are only imitations of a person. But they, turning to Alaya, called exactly him, Shirou. Or it was something ... something with a human soul. No matter how much respect Emiya had for androids, he still could not call them humans. For better or worse ... nobody knows.

"What do you advise me to do now, Anemone?" Shirou jumped off the table he was sitting on and came closer to her.

The android thought about his words for a while, and did not immediately respond to his question. Shirou smiled slightly and waved his hand in front of her eyes.

"Anemone?"

"Eh … ?"

"What should I do now, Cap? Where will I be most helpful?" Emiya smiled openly.

The android glanced at him briefly and then opened the interface and flipped through several windows until it finally opened what looked like a map.

"Right here," she called him closer and pointed her fingers to the red dot. "I can't give you a map, so you'll have to head west. It's a desert." She smirked slightly, but Shiro couldn't figure out for who the grin was for. Him? Or … ? "The place that you named. There're dangerous machines there. If they get to the city, it will be unpleasant. You said that you have certain abilities ...

Shirou just nodded at that. An incredible amount of Noble Phantasms and simple swords immediately appeared in his head. Anything he could show right now.

"It will be good if you kill them, Emiya Shirou."

"Alright. And you call me Shirou ..."

The magician froze right in front of the android and gave her his arm, bent at the elbow. Anemone looked at it for a moment and then grabbed with a clap. A gesture common to all humans, but for androids ... That was new, Shirou thought. However, they learn quickly.

"And Shirou…"

Emiya, who had already let go of her hand and took a couple of steps towards the exit, turned to her again. The head of the resistance camp, straightened up, lowered one hand along the body, and with her right, fist, hit in the chest.

"For humanity."

Shirou smiled in surprise.

"Humanity, huh… ?"

And only silently nodded, waving his hand. Shirou turned away quickly to hide his concern and uncertainty.

How ... How much it reminds him of himself! He did everything he could to not be like Archer. His true identity, who has given up on humanity. An unfortunate version of Emiya Shirou, who pursued unrealizable ideals and was unable to fulfill them.

He even made a trip into the past, specifically to destroy his past and thus rid himself of the torment of conscience and reality ... But he did not succeed either.

But Shirou vowed to himself that he would never become Archer. He will never regret what he did, and he will never have to choose between two evils.

He'll just save everyone. Through thick and thin.

Emiya Shirou smiled brightly and naturally, confident in a way that he probably never was before.

"Look closely. This is the embodiment of your prayer. This is your _**salvation**_."


	7. Chapter 7

**beta-reader**

**Nyanvic**

Shirou got out of the Resistance Camp, generally unsure of where exactly he should go and what to look for. They said it clearly that he should go into the desert and find machines that threaten the city, but ...

Shirou has already been to the desert, in his own world and in the Louise's world, in Germany. And it was, in principle, not the best decision - to go there. Especially without preparation. With limited water supplies, with extremely low knowledge of enemy forces and their abilities ...

So, essentially, Shirou will have to deal with it as usual. Not according to the script, not according to the plan, but according to circumstances. Although he would like to avoid this.

He did not even move fifteen meters away from the Camp, when suddenly an idea occurred to him, which delighted him and only because he dealt with it before he went very far.

Because there were swords in the Camp. There was a person who was selling them.

Perhaps it was worth going back to see them? Something might come in handy. No, Shirou certainly had no doubts about his treasury, as well as the treasury of Gilgamesh, but ... what if?

And with such thoughts, he turned back and returned to the Camp. The same guys who stood near the entrance waved to him and he just nodded in response.

Deeper into the territory, he looked for that person and found that he was sitting in his place.

The "blacksmith," as Shirou decided to call him, was polishing a rather artisanal blade, and Emiya decided to stand for a while to see what he was doing.

He worked quite skillfully and finished pretty quickly. Immediately after that, he took several different parts, put them on the workbench in front of him and began to examine them, clearly deciding what to use best.

This moment Shirou decided to use as the most suitable one to come closer and ask about the things that interest him most.

"Excuse me, sir."

While in Halkeginia, Shirou was accustomed to addressing people in a "Western" way and therefore had no problem with it. In addition, for a long time, even in his own world, he didn't live in Japan. Sometimes he missed the strict Japanese address, and intended to insert here and there all sorts of suffixes, which, as he later realized, were incomprehensible to others.

And then he decided to use the same "Western" style of communication, thinking that it would be more familiar. Although the language he spoke could not be accurately defined as Japanese. Thanks to **Apeiron** , Shirou was able to speak without problems and what language it was did not matter, because he was able to speak it and understand it regardless.

However, writing became the only means of language identification. Anemone showed him a map with English symbols. Therefore, it was possible that English was primary language here, but Shirou could not say for sure. In his home world, many countries could use English as another way of communication.

"Yes, bro? Do you want something?" he answered him politely and even cheerfully.

"I saw that you have swords, and I would like to see them," Shirou replied straight off the bat, getting to the heart of the matter, and not beating around the bush. "I'm interested in everything you have." In response, the android raised his eyebrows, and Shirou rushed to add. "Anything that, one way or another, resembles swords, daggers and spears. Anything you can offer me."

The big android got up and rubbed his hands together excitedly. But Shirou will definitely upset him, because he won't buy anything. He doesn't even know what currency is used in this place.

"Well, let's go and see what I have."

He left his seat and headed somewhere to the right, away from the place where the conversation with Anemone took place. Shirou additionally took note of that, the android really stood there, but in fact, she did not pay attention to anyone, reading some book. Shirou got interested. He did not think that any literature was preserved in this world. But he could ask about the books later.

As they passed by, Anemone looked up just for a moment, measured them both, and returned to reading, probably finding nothing unusual about Shirou's return. You never know, since he returned, it means some business. Shirou approved of this approach.

For a moment the thought flashed through his head: why not ask again where to go? More precisely, where exactly to go in the desert?

But as soon as he wanted to turn to Anemone, a voice in his head immediately stopped him.

 **You shouldn't distract in vain** , said **Apeiron**. I have remembered where to go.

 _Well, if you insist, Your Excellency_ , Shirou also mentally replied.

**A little more respect in your tone, boy.**

_What was this for, I wonder?_

Again, he did not answer him. Shirou from time to time was glad to hone his language, but **Apeiron** was not a fan of scratching tongues in vain. And so Shiro had to be content with the little communication he was able to grab. However, he already knew him well. **Apeiron** was quite arrogant, but sometimes he helped when the situation was not for the better. If he saw that Shirou was alright, he didn't even think about interfering. Sometimes Shirou was grateful for that, sometimes not.

"Here we are."

The blacksmith raised his voice and Shirou looked up from his thoughts.

They stood in a small cubbyhole, hung with various weapons. A variety of swords, spears, daggers and hammers hung from hooks and stood leaning against the walls.

Shirou, as a decent person, did not immediately rush into the depths and just stared.

"Can I touch some of them?" he asked and the blacksmith jokingly waved his hand, sitting down on a box nearby.

"Touch what you want, bro."

And so Shirou immediately grabbed the nearby blade. He could analyze everything at once, but that was not interesting. It is much better to hold each in your hands, wave a couple of times and feel the weight with your hands.

 **Trace on** , Shirou muttered to himself, no longer needing to chant a homemade spell out loud. Analysis…

An image of a sword made up of emerald lines immediately appeared in his head, before his eyes. Shiro nodded silently as he figured out what was what and moved on to the next one.

Swords were made from a wide variety of parts, sometimes from solid fragments of machines, and Shirou could read not only the history of the creation of such weapons, but also see what ... or, more precisely, who were the parts from which the swords were made.

They were mostly similar machines, but Shirou was still interested in seeing it. **Apeiron** reacted indifferently to everything, because already, as Emiya realized, he learned everything from his unique sources.

But it was different with the Magician. He analyzed everything that the blacksmith had and left after thanking him. The android, of course, was upset that nothing was bought, but as Shirou realized, he still liked the attention to his work. In addition, Shirou was not stingy with compliments, since there were still decent works. Especially the blades made of composite steel, the source of which Shirou could not fully understand. Reason told him that it was something like tungsten, which in Shirou's world was the most durable metal, but again in practice, he could hardly imagine how it was possible to make a weapon from tungsten. Was it tungsten carbide? Perhaps the androids could somehow synthesize it, but again it is not clear how exactly. Somehow, these details of the sword's history were hidden. But Shirou, anyway, decided to take a closer look at such a sword and try it in the future, because it was quite interesting.

Thus, after thanking the android, Shirou headed outside and soon disappeared from the camp, missing important characters of this story, literally five minutes apart.

* * *

Two androids, after some time, entered the territory of the resistance camp. They leisurely walked past other androids, exchanged a few words with someone, and headed deeper.

Their target stayed in the very center of the far wall. It was the tactical center of the entire camp, in which at the moment, and being more precise, almost always, there was only one android - Anemone.

The two approached her slowly.

"Hello, Anemone," the young man greeted, slightly shorter in comparison with his companion. It was a model scanner - 9S. "We came back from the campaign with good news. Two enemies were struck in a cavern in the east, but we were unable to delay them, as well as to obtain any more detailed and valuable information."

His partner, the combat model 2B, only nodded in response, without saying anything, as her companion told all the necessary things. And ranting ... it was not her style. Let the scanners tell the most necessary things.

"Okay. The fact that you did not die is the best news, but the failure to obtain information ... This is unpleasant."

"Yes, and also we ..."

2B did not listen to further conversation. If there is something important, then 9S will tell her, so there was no point in loading herself with unnecessary data.

She looked around, surveying the camp. Nothing new, everything seemed to be the same.

Just ... It seems to be the same as before. 2B noticed something that stood out from the usual image and this did not give her rest. Something happened. As she walked when they returned, she paid no attention to it, lost in thought about that machine. But now, looking more closely, the android realized that the rest of the androids were talking about something. At least those that were in groups.

After focusing to them, 2B tried to hear what was being said.

"In red…"

"So attractive!"

"He was real ..."

"He caught the bullet with his bare hand, remember? That was something!"

"Human …"

"Exactly, real, that's how they look, the creators ..."

2B shook her head, wondering to what she was listening to. This can not be true. Can't it? .."

Swallowing, purely instinctively, she turned back and listened to what 9S and Anemone were talking about.

"By the way, have you come across one ... character?"

"The character?" 2B gave voice in bewilderment, for the first time during her stay in the camp.

"Dressed in red, red hair, skin slightly darkish. Pretty high. Have you met him?"

9S and 2B jumped up immediately. Of course, they have! It was about him that they reported to the Commander.

"We have," calmly, unlike her mental state, answered 2B. "We assume that he is dangerous, and therefore decided that immediate liquidation is necessary ..."

"Wait, 2B," interrupted 9S. "Anemone, how do you know about it?"

"He was here," she said simply, and a couple of androids were immediately alarmed.

"Did you capture him? Is it destroyed? It could be dangerous! Commander ..."

"This is not necessary," came the laconic answer.

"But the Comma..."

"It's simple," Anemone made a dramatic pause, inwardly amused at how the pair of androids from YoRHa were waiting for a response. "It was not an android. And not a machine. It was a human."

There was a moment of awkward silence, during which no one said a word. Anemone was additionally embarrassed by the fact that all YoRHa units wore black visor bands, and therefore it was impossible to see their eyes.

And of course, 2B reacted first.

"It IS a trap. Definitely a trap. It has deceived you. I don't know how he succeeded, but he has."

"Why did you decide that?" Anemone asked slightly surprised, among other things, looking at 9S, who was slightly shaken.

"I…" 2B suddenly fell silent, opening her mouth and finding no words. "Well, I ... I ..."

"REAL HUMAN!" Howled 9S, wringing his hands. "Anemone! Where is he? Where did he go?!"

The head of the resistance camp burst out laughing, hands on hips. What a different reaction these two have.

"He went to the desert at my request. Our units have registered several machines there, which must not reach the city. Otherwise, it will be bad. I asked Emiya Shirou to deal with this problem."

"Did you send a human to deal with the machines?" 2B asked incredulously, shaking her head. "How could you?"

Her fears were justified. According to some archives and reports, people were rather weak in terms of combat, and therefore she could not believe how a simple person could cope with any, even the smallest machine.

But almost immediately, she remembered the words of other androids, which she had involuntarily overheard.

"Is he that strong?" 9S asked for her.

Anemone simply smiled in response, remembering some of the details of the meeting with Emiya and the pressure she felt.

"You'd better see for yourself."

"Emiya ... Shirou ..." 2B muttered.

"Anemone, where exactly did he go?" 9S demanded. "Perhaps we can catch up with him ... We could provide support, and ..."

"Oh, believe me, he doesn't need your support. One way or another, you are likely to miss him again. So, either wait for him here, or don't go far. Your room is still yours."

Both androids nodded to her and headed to the far side of the camp, where their room, allocated by Anemone, was located.

Both had rather scattered thoughts in their heads, but both of them had similar thought:

"Who is this Emiya Shirou?"

* * *

In the meantime, the aforementioned person has almost reached the desert. Shirou walked in the approximate direction to which Anemone pointed to him and got to the cave, through which he had to go and after which, judging by the advice again, the desert should begin.

Of course, the sand was already everywhere, and it was getting much hotter than it was in the wooded area. If rain could be expected in the city, as **Apeiron** told him, then in the desert ... simply put, rain was just a dream.

Shirou took care of drinking water from the place before and was on full alert, but still not sure what exactly he would have to face. Anemone, of course, enlightened him about the machines, that were the size ... bigger, but what could it give in terms of combat? In the tactical sense, Shiro received some details, but in the combat sense, everything was still empty, because during these few days he had not yet encountered machines several times larger than himself.

_Stupid familiar, led us to some incomprehensible place again!_

Shirou blinked and turned around, expecting to see the face of his Master, Louise, flushed with anger and resentment, but there was no one there.

"Again?.."

He remembered very well how for a while, very life-like visions of his old friend Rin appeared to him, but he already understood that this was not true. Just a mirage made by the mind to keep itself from pain.

But what could happen to Louise? Now she is the strongest Void Mage in her world, she is not in threatened by anything and will not be in any danger, so there is nothing to worry about.

For a split second, Shirou looked at the same spot where he heard those words and decided to head on.

After all, they could have been mirages created because of the heat of the desert. Shirou encountered them, but they were not as realistic.

One way or another, it was worth thinking again about what weapon to use in accordance with the danger of the enemy.

Shirou watched the machine lifeforms standing in place, the visors of which seemed to be burning scarlet, but they, again, seemed to not move at all, even when he came close to them.

He remembered the sword he had saw at the blacksmith's. Of course, Shirou managed to project it, but in practice, the sword, which was supposed to be very powerful, could not even withstand the blow and fell apart.

No, Shirou certainly had no doubts about his ability to project weapons, but still ... What could be the reason? Emiya tried to get this sword, redeem it in one way or another, but the blacksmith was adamant. Standing in front of him, Shirou hesitantly fiddled with his treasures, the finest blades that humanity has ever seen, but the blacksmith just shook his head, saying that they would not be useful for him anywhere.

And this put the Magician into prostration. In his previous world, for any of these blades, he could get a fortune.

And here?

Here his treasures were not needed by anyone.

Androids need practical things that can be used somewhere. And since they do not have an internal source of magical energy, they will not be able to use magical things. But even without them, there was a lot to see in Shirou's collection!

And yet nothing worked.

Then Shirou tried to go the other way. Now he remembered his stupid question: _Perhaps I can get something for you? In exchange for this sword ..._

The blacksmith just burst out laughing and said ... so many things that Shirou was already beginning to doubt whether the blade was worth the effort he would have to put in.

First, he needed fifty thousand. Shirou didn't know what exactly fifty thousand was, what kind of currency it was and what it looked like, but above all that was not all.

The blacksmith needed an intact machine core. In that conversation, out of the corner of his eye, Shirou saw Anemone shaking her head disapprovingly, clearly hearing them. From what Shirou understood, trying to figure out the essence of the matter, it was impossible to get the whole machine core.

This is understandable, because they detonate. This is probably caused by overloading of the core itself.

But that was not the end. The blacksmith needed a lot of machine limbs, arms and legs, but the main thing was chest armor, which he could use to make new weapons, as well as shields and armor.

By that time, Shirou began to think that he didn't need this sword that much, but now, remembering all this and seeing huge crowds (not actually) of machines in front of him, he realized that at least it would be really easy to get their limbs.

But what kind of currency they use? Where can I get it? Are they coins? Paper money? What is the point in them if there are no shops here?

However, there were vending machines with drinks here ...

Although they were broken, but Shirou assumed that this particular currency could somehow activate them. Unfortunately, he did not ask Anemone anything about this.

He really should have.

Shirou left the cave and closed his eyes, squinting at the sun.

It had become unbearably hot, but fortunately, his enchanted clothes gave a small degree of coolness to his body, and so it was possible to live. However, Shirou wouldn't mind wearing a headdress. Headdresses - Kufi did not remain in his treasury, he spent the last in Halkeginia, and did not bother to make new ones.

_Made it harder for myself. I'll be smarter next time._

A lonely and treacherous thought flashed through the Magician's head.

There was a vending machine in the distance, just as decrepit as the others, and Shirou wanted it to work like a real thing more than ever.

In fact, there were no landmarks. Somewhere very far to the right, stone skyscrapers could be seen, the same as in the city, but a little more sloped and destroyed.

Looking at them, Shirou easily realized that there had never been any sand here before. It is simply located closer to the equator than in the previous world. This place could not be compared even with Japan, because the climate was very different. Unlike the humidity, which prevailed there almost everywhere, as Shirou could tell, here ... in the desert, everything was as dry as in Africa.

And Shirou had no idea that this could happen, which turned the city into a desert of sand.

 **Everything was covered with ash and salt before** , **Apeiron** responded to his thoughts.

"Ashes? And what is salt for?"

**You did not understand what I showed you. The great "plague" overtook the human race and no one was left. All turned to salt and ashes.**

As soon as Shiro focused on the words of **Apeiron** , the desert suddenly disappeared into a city such as Shirou was accustomed to in his old, home world.

People were screaming, turning into salt pillars and literally collapsing, and this was happening everywhere.

"Help ... help me ..."

A very young girl ran to him, and Shirou, with eyes opened widely, activated magic circuits, ready for anything. But the girl did not reach him, slowing and slowing down, turning into salt and decaying, like everyone else.

As a result, on Shirou's hands, she fell in flakes of ash, crumbling right on ... sand.

**Hearken?**

Shirou straightened up sharply, realizing that it was only a vision and wanted to glare at **Apeiron** , but immediately realized that there was no one to vent his anger on.

All this was happening in his head, as always.

Shaking his head, Shirou finally approached the antique vending machine.

He spent some time looking at it, the variety of different drinks that most likely had nothing in them, and the holes. On the LCD at the bottom right, there was the same mark that he saw on other similar devices.

"Could it be ... a station? Or something like that?"

For some reason, Shirou asked out loud without expecting anything. No one answered him, because **Apeiron** did not find it worthy of comment.

Then he came close to the vending machine and knocked on the lid. There was a surprisingly hollow sound that told the Magician that the inside was empty. Perhaps it is true that the androids go inside this device, and ... what? Recharging somehow? Getting a repairt? Currency? Who knows.

Shiro tried to open the machine by the handle that was there, but nothing happened, and he didn't want to break the machine, even by accident.

And so Shirou headed deep into the desert, not knowing where he was going.

However, he did not have to go far.

Several miniature machines were running after each other about a hundred meters from him. Even from here, due to his vision, Shirou could see that their eyes were not green, which would tell him not to attack them. They were red.

This was probably a sign.

Projecting the bow, Shirou placed an arrow on the string, holding the others with his fingers and preparing to destroy them instantly.

_After all ... they are not people._

And then he fired. Machines detonated instantly, but almost immediately after the explosion, there was a loud noise, the sand flew in all directions and Shirou had to take a closer look ...

Only in order to see three machines at once, which, probably, were they he heard about. They were about five meters each, so Shirou didn't have to pay extra attention to see them clearly. They could be seen from afar.

Deciding to try that same blade again, and seeing that the machines were in no hurry to attack him, Shirou leisurely projected the sword as perfectly as he could. Then he changed it, twisting it slightly counterclockwise and making it look like an arrow. He put the same blade on the bowstring, aimed and fired.

The projectile instantly reached the target, but did not produce the effect that could be expected from it.

As soon as it reached the head of the machine closest to Shiro, the shell exploded and ... did no harm. Didn't even shake them.

_Damn it!_

And it was not known whether the sword was so difficult to copy, or whether the protection of these robots was much better than that of everyone else.

So after scattering the bow, Shirou headed towards them.

The machines paid attention to him and headed towards him, waving their huge arms, at the ends of which, like gloves, were weighted plates, roughly making the hands and fingers.

"Well then ... _Trace on_!"

Shirou projected Kansho and Bakuya beloved twin blades and threw both at the nearest robot. Much to the Mage's regret, the machine life form fought them both off, but the blades cut large chunks off the plates.

This was pleasing, because it means they can be killed.

But suddenly unexpected happened. The limbs of the machines flowed with energy and electricity. Even from a distance, Shirou felt the hair on his head sway.

"Shouldn't get under their blows ... Definitely not worth it ..."

He muttered.

The robots creaked very loudly, like unlubricated mechanisms, and Shirou, dodging blows for some time and literally dancing between them, striking blows, tried to recognize the grinding, because he felt some kind of ... incomprehensible, incomprehensible logic in it.

" **Apeiron**! Is it a language?"

For a while, no one answered him, and Shirou had already managed to strip the lower limbs of one of the robots, and pierce that one with a long, nameless spear, which, nevertheless, was still a Noble Phantasm from the greatest treasury of the king of heroes.

**Not a language. Do not heed their words, for what are they for the living ones?**

The veiled hint that it would be better to focus on the fight was clear.

Almost immediately one of the heavy limbs flew from above, but with his spear, which he managed to project, Shirou blocked it and, literally, swept it aside, cutting it off during the parry.

The machines did not make any sounds from the fact that Shirou gradually cut off body parts from them, which was an additional sign that they did not feel pain. Unlike the other machines, they didn't even speak an understandable language, so Shirou didn't hesitate to kill them. One way or another, they are a threat to living and intelligent beings in the city.

One way or another, he was doing the job of a cleaner.

_Will you keep going straight to Hell with this in mind?_

Archer's dark and cold voice rang out in his head, very different from his, Shirou's, voice.

"You forgot what it's like to save people, Archer!"

Shirou exclaimed, and, with a well-coordinated movement, he destroyed the first of the robots, which had previously been lying on the ground and trying to reach him.

Scattering the spear, Shirou projected his favorite swords again and with a couple of strikes diagonally cut off all the remaining limbs of the other robot.

"You forgot what it means to be a hero of justice!"

Curved swords, **yin** and **yang** , stuck deep into the robot's chest armor causing it to stop and fall to the ground.

"So look carefully ... I will remind you!"

And with a long jump upward, he finally cut off the head of the latter and left a deep groove in his chest, bumping into something in it ... it felt fragile and semi-material, like a heart.

Jumping from it to the ground, Shirou watched the machine attentively, expecting them to get up again.

_Anyway, you had become the same as me._

"Hell no."

Shirou spat out and threw Kansho right into the core of the machine that was about to hit him.

"I'll never be you."

Suddenly, the machines detonated and Shirou jumped backwards with a long jump, leaving him out of the blast's reach.

But the troubles ... it turns out, did not end there.

There was a whistle of wind behind him and Shiro, on pure reflexes, projected Kansho and Bakuya, turned around, blocking the blow of a complex, composite sword, which, almost immediately, was reflected in his Reality Marble - the Unlimited Blade Works.

The blade was held by a woman with long white hair. Instead of the usual clothes that he saw on androids, she was wearing only black fabric that covered the hips and groin, like shorts, and also some kind of top. All her pale skin was covered in soot, and it gave the impression that the android, and it was precisely the android, had just escaped from the battle.

"Who are you?!"

Shirou exclaimed pushing her back.

"It does not matter. I watched you for a long time. You are dangerous, and my direct task will be to kill you while you have not yet recovered."

Shirou didn't even needed to catch his breath. But she pounced on him again, dealing several blows, and Emiya blocked them all. The pressure on the hands, however, was stronger than that of the machines.

"Let me expla …"

"This is what I must to do in the name of my fallen comrades!"

She twisted in some kind of strange pirouette, and Shirou only noticed out of the corner of his eye that the blade was flying straight to his throat.

_What the hell with this dangerous world ..._

It was the last thought that crossed his mind, accompanied by Archer's ghostly and very unpleasant laugh.


	8. Chapter 8

_**beta-reader** _

_**Nyanvic** _

Time seemed to slow down. The blade approached Shirou's throat, doing it very slowly, as if it was only moving a millimeter per second.

And during this time, Shirou was preparing a plan of action, which he started immediately.

He could not deflect the blade with his weapon, as the blade was already very close. He couldn't project something behind the android that would attack her, because her weapon would get him faster.

All he could do was deflect the blade. But how will he do it? A difficult question and at the same time an easy one.

And in this event, he even won't need the help of Apeiron.

It'll only takes three steps.

The first. The left hand drops the weapon to the ground, because it needs to be clenched into a fist.

The second. The hand flies up. But not to grab the weapon with his hand, as Shirou saw in the comics as a child.

The third. A clenched fist hits the flat side of the blade, and throws it aside along with the hand, almost allowing it to graze the neck.

An empty but focused gaze of the android girl immediately lights up with surprise and under the influence of the force from Shirou's blow, she is slightly carried to the side.

At the same moment, Shirou projected his two blades, Kansho and Bakuya and took a defensive stance. Who was this girl? Why did she attack him? Aren't the androids supposed to be ... how to say ... respectful? Because of his humanity?

In fact, there were two options. Either she does not yet know that he is human, or she knows, but ... But "what"?

An order from higher authorities to kill him? Personal initiative?

Shirou couldn't even imagine.

Meanwhile, the android, beautifully twisting in the air, landed on the sand slightly sliding to the side and again rushed to him, attacking. The blades met, steel rang on steel, and crimson sparks flew into the air.

Her hands trembled slightly with tension because Shirou did not intend to give in in this confrontation. Losing meant death. His immortality, curse, or the blessing bestowed by the Fairy Queen and the Lady of the Lake, only influenced aging.

It had no effect on the wounds, which Shirou was very clearly aware of when confronted with Harp.

He could have killed her in many different ways. He really could.

But that's not the way. Not at all. Without looking back at Archer - not the way.

Pressing down, Shirou pushed her away again and the android jumped back.

 _She's quite mobile_ , he thought. _Uses a style that allows her to skillfully avoid blows. Somewhat reminds me of the old Guiche, who did not want to fall under my blows_.

The light in the android's hands blinked and in a split second a huge blade appeared in her hands, which Shirou had previously ignored. The one that actually hung behind her all this time.

She swung it with force and slammed at his crossed blades, shattering them. And Shirou projected new ones without any problem, causing a new surprised look. But then hatred followed in her eyes.

And then blows. A whole hurricane flurry of blows that could destroy any resistance. But Shirou hadn't been the one who held a sword in his hands only for several days.

And so he used Projection.

Shirou was adept at repelling her attacks, from above, from the side, from bottom to top, diagonally ... she couldn't reach him, and Shirou simply wouldn't forgive himself if he let her do it.

To the android's credit, it should be said that she was also good at defense. Although Shirou deliberately did not try to hit, he almost lost focus a couple of times and almost hit the exposed areas of her body.

Fortunately, he managed to restrain himself in time. She is a sentient being and he couldn't do what she clearly wanted to do to him.

After about twenty new pairs of blades, Shirou began to get tired of this dance. Apparently, the android did not even need to catch her breath, but Shirou before that, in principle, wasn't tired, but now he was already starting to get weary.

_So there is only one option for those who do not want to calm down themselves._

"Trace on!"

The blades instantly fell out of hands and crumbled in the air in specks of Prana, not even reaching the ground. And instead of them, green sparks appeared in the hands of Shirou, who was preparing to take the sword with a two-handed grip.

Only one weapon is capable of opposing any weapon in the world.

_The most durable._

"Gram ..."

And time seemed to have gone wrong not the way it should have gone. At least that's how it seemed to Shirou.

A powerful blow from above should cut him in half or worse. But this cannot be allowed.

The sword is already in Shirou's hands. One has only to wave diagonally or just horizontally and he will be able to cut it with her hands or even touch the torso.

Mentally kicking himself, Shirou took a step back so that it was easier to swing and forcefully slammed the wide and large sword of the android girl, breaking it apart.

But this did not bother her, apparently, she was subconsciously ready for the loss of her weapon, and therefore in flight, not even landing on the ground, she took in her hands the sword, which she used to initially attack Shirou and directed it at him.

For the sake of variety, Shirou slammed the flat side of Gram against her sword to see what she will do.

"I destroyed your weapon. What are you going to do with this stub now?"

Shirou nodded his chin at the shards of the big sword she wielded with ease, looking straight in her eyes.

"I am a weapon myself."

She muttered and threw herself at him, inflicting many stabbing and cutting blows.

Shirou dodged everything, partly deflecting the flat side of his sword. But this could not last too long.

Eventually, the blow landed on Gram's blade and that android's blade snapped. And while her swing was ending, Shirou made a few more blows to the blade of her blade, leaving only the hilt that she could only throw at him.

"What now?"

But the android didn't seem to hear him. She cautiously took a couple of steps back, not taking her eyes off him, and suddenly, made a long jump back, made a somersault in the air and, having landed with her back to him, rushed headlong away.

Shirou just looked after her in bewilderment. He did not have time to explain to her that he was not a machine.

Dispelling the Gram in the air, Shirou examined the remaining fragments of the weapon in the sand. In all fairness, they did not disappear, which was what Shirou expected of them, and seemed quite real.

"I should show them to the blacksmith ... Maybe he will tell me something interesting about this metal?"

And with such thoughts and intentions, Shirou began to collect the fragments, placing them in the treasury of his Sarras sheath. The illogical and very vague excitement and anxiety did not leave his head. Partly because of the guilt for destroying her weapon. After all, this world is pretty dangerous. She can get into trouble.

_Well…_

This has to be expected if you want to attack someone with intent to kill.

***

After a short time, Shirou headed back, almost along the same route, more than once greatly regretting that there was not at least some form of transport, because he spent a lot of time just to get here. Of course, there was nowhere to rush, but still these few hours could be spent on something more useful.

For example, to communicate with the inhabitants of this world. Which was very important and useful, because if you have to live the rest of your life in this world, you will need to learn as much as possible about it. Apeiron could have suggested something from time to time, but still it was not enough.

Shirou moved along the sand, gradually approaching the very cave from which he got into this area. Very soon, at least a semblance of a shadow awaited him, in which he could rest. Although Shirou is used to the heat, he is not used to the desert and how dry it is.

Having materialized a bottle of water from his treasury, once again Shirou regretted that he himself could not enter into it, because the temperature there was ideally low.

After drinking and pouring water on his head, he threw the bottle back, making a mental note to replenish supplies.

"It will be necessary to pass by that lovely water stream again ..."

Jumping to a small height, Shirou pulled himself up and climbed the stone ledge, which led to the very cave. Slightly quickening his pace, he quickly overcame the rocky terrain, and five minutes later he did come to a small camp set up on the very edge of the desert. The ruins of the city and the saving coolness were already not far away. More precisely, it was also hot in the city, but slightly less hot than in the desert.

It was humid in the ruins. Wet heat is very different from dry heat. The ruins were like in Japan, in Shirou's homeworld so he was adapted to it. But dry heat ... Shirou has had been to the desert sometimes, but not very much. There was nothing to breathe. Constantly thirsty. Sweat drippin' everywhere.

Figuratively speaking, it's terrible. And in this world, you could easily multiply this by two.

Nodding to the android in the shadows under the tent, Shirou headed towards the Resistance Camp.

Looking at the outdated drink vending machine, the though arose again about how androids move between them so quickly. Anemone spoke about it and Pascal mentioned it. Shirou regretted not being able to do the same as they did.

However, thoughts of moving through space took a little wrong direction, forcing him to remember Caster ...

Shirou shook his head as if hoping to get the thoughts out of his head, but he couldn't do so outright as usual.

He didn't want to remember the Holy Grail War. Especially after his time-weary mind realized the whole truth.

Deciding not to think about it especially, Shirou directed his feet towards the Resistance Camp. The journey did not take much time, since he already knew where to go and therefore, stopping to replenish water supplies, the Magician quickly reached the androids' camp.

Nodding to the guards who stood outside in the shade, trying not to draw attention to themselves, Shirou went inside and ... felt a slight feeling of comfort, as if he had returned home from an expedition. Everything here was so cozy and home-like, no one attracted much attention and here it seemed ... safe.

One of the few places where you can really relax. Shirou, taking his time and throwing greetings with the androids, went to the very center of the camp, to the corner where the table was and where Anemone usually was.

There was nothing new here. There were no new peop… ehem… androids, and no one disappeared either, although he definitely didn't remember all of them. But that didn't matter now.

"Anemone!"

"Ah, Shirou," the head of the Resistance turned around, looking up from some data and waving at him. "Is everything okay?"

Meanwhile, Emiya walked to the table from the other side of it.

_I haven't got even one machine core ..._

"Yes," the Magician muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "The machines are destroyed and no longer pose a threat. Although it's hard for me to imagine how they would have made their way through that cave. It is much smaller than their size. But this is not important. I forgot to bring the machine core to the blacksmith ..."

"You'll deal with him yourself," Anemone smiled. "What's important that is those machines no longer pose a threat to us. Ok ... I'll transfer your reward to the terminal and some other useful tools."

She opened the window in front of her, delving into it, and ... suddenly froze, with her hand raised up.

Shirou blinked in bewilderment, not fully understanding what terminal she meant. Anemone also blinked and closed the window, pursed her lips and looked directly at Shirou.

"I forgot, I'm sorry," she said and looked around clearly in search of something. "I'll figure out how to reward you. I am so embarrassed, I forgot that you are not an android."

"It's okay," Shirou waved his hand. "I don't need a reward. In the end, I helped you not for profit, but of my own free will. Just because I wanted to. Just because I have to."

"You don't owe anyone anything, Shirou," Anemone pointed out, looking at him seriously. "We expected help from the council of humanity, but the commander is helping us as much as they can. Troops, supplies ... that's enough. We are made to fight after all. Defeat machine life forms, fulfill the goal and ... and ..."

Shirou listened to her in silence, fully aware that the purpose of life for androids, in general, does not differ much from his. Help others. Save them. This is Emiya Shirou's goal. This is the price of his salvation.

Rescuing him from the fire in Fuyuki. He owes his salvation to all the people who died in it. All the children who suffered under the church for ten long years. And he will pay off this debt in full.

Just because he has to.

_**I have no regrets. This is the only path.** _

This is exactly what he will do.

"Actually ..."

Anemone was keep looking at him, expecting for continue.

"If you have any food ... Supplies. I would be very grateful."

"We will definitely find everything we can," Anemone responded instantly and immediately called several androids, quickly giving them instructions. They left after a couple of minutes, during which Shirou looked at the camp and its inhabitants.

"Okay, we've got it out. Meanwhile, Shirou," she caught the Magician's attention with a wave of her hand. "Someone really wants to talk to you."

She looked somewhere behind him.

"Call 2B and 9S."

The android, to which she told to do this, moved away somewhere in the opposite direction from them. In less than a minute, a perplexed Shirou, who had time to imagine every possibility of who is coming, heard a wild, surprised scream.

***

Shirou stood in a daze in front of the two androids from YoRHa. Branded black clothes, the young man is wearing a leather jacket and knee-length shorts, and the girl is wearing a dress with a short, knee-length skirt. Both had gloves on their hands and blindfolds. As far as Shirou understood, these were visors that complemented the visual functionality of the androids. Both had white, silvery hair. Emiya couldn't call it gray like the hair he had; they were just that silver.

And these androids were now looking at him with their visors. At least Shirou dared to hope that they were looking, because he couldn't see their eyes.

Anemone withdrew herself, deciding not to interfere with the process and Shiro was left alone with him. Leaning on the table, he just looked at them, expecting questions or ... anything at all.

The young man spoke first.

"You ... you ... are you really human?" He asked according to Shirou with a voice shaking with excitement.

"Yes, really," Shirou responded immediately. "I have nothing to tell you myself, so ask me what interests you. I don't know how much are you already know about… about humans in general.

The boy thought hard for a while, but the girl decided on the question before.

"We saw you fighting, sir," the girl began. Shirou did not yet know which of them was called 2B and who was 9S, but he planned to find out soon. "Could you tell us a little more about this? I saw you shot from a bow, and ... arrows, where does it come from?"

Shirou smiled, almost relaxed inwardly as it was about weapons, which he really liked.

"First, don't call me 'sir'. You can use the name and unformal 'you'. In response to this, the corners of the girl's lips slightly parted to the sides and squeezed into a thin line. Shirou got the impression that hierarchy and obedience are strictly hammered into the warriors of humanity.

"I can't do that. This is inappropriate behavior towards the creators," she gave it out.

Shirou got a little bit sad at the thought of having to tell them that there are no more humans at all. Although he himself could not completely believe it. Who was his contractor after all?

"You'll have to get used to it. Otherwise, it will not be possible to achieve a constructive dialogue and friendly manner of communication."

Shirou didn't know why did he said that. Perhaps based on the fact that they will travel with him? Technically, Shirou didn't need companions, as he was doing fine alone, but the constant stream of knowledge from normal persons, and not from any freeloaders, would be the best help in possible conflicts.

"Okay, I hope for understanding." Deciding to wave his hand, Emiya remembered that he had been asked another question. "I'm an Archer. Capable of firing projectiles from a long distance. But as for where I get them ... I just project. This is a magical art."

"Magic?" stretched the girl, tilting her head to one side.

"I read about it in the chronicles of humankind," for the first time that they were standing here, the young man spoke. "This is the process of changing reality by influencing it with internal energy," Shirou nodded with a smile and slight surprise, listened to what he said. "That's just ... The chronicles also indicated that these are just fairy tales. Not true."

Shirou shook his head, determined to be sure.

"What's your name?"

"Number 9 Model Scanner, sir."

"Short?"

"9S sir."

"Give up your sirs," Shirou winced.

"Yes, sir."

There was a chuckle of **Apeiron** inside and Shirou rolled his eyes.

_It's useless to fight this ..._

"Look, 9S. Do you believe in magic yourself?" Shirou jarred to name what he does 'magic', but in this world, no one really mattered. After the boy shook his head, Emiya continued. "And if you see something yourself, will you start to believe in it?"

"I don't believe it until I see it," 9S changed his words. Shirou nodded.

"Then watch carefully."

Shirou concentrated for literally one short moment; the trigger clicked and in his hands with a flash appeared a black with red hexagonal pattern, Kanshou. The pleasant weight of the sword always reassured him.

Emiya quickly twisted it in his hand and grabbed the very tip of the handle, demonstratively holding it point up, right in front of the astonished androids' faces, their lips parted in surprise.

"Sir, may I ..."

Shirou nodded, tossed the sword up slightly and caught it flat side in his palm, stretching it forward.

9S, mesmerized, touched the sword with his finger, and even the silent 2B came closer and bent down to look. There was nothing unusual about this blade for Shirou, but the very concept of magic was new to the androids.

 _ **Look who's talking about creating swords out of thin air**_ , **Apeiron** reminded him, throwing up the memory of a long-haired android girl with whom he fought in the desert.

Shirou prudently kept silent. Even mentally.

"It will disappear as soon as it breaks or whenever I want," Shirou said, dissolving the sword in the dust of Prana. A fascinating sight for those who see it for the first time and has long been familiar to him.

9S tried to catch Prana in his hand, but naturally nothing came of it. Shirou just smiled at this attempt, while 2B took a step back. 9S, on the other hand, seemed to Shirou, just emanating a aura of curiosity that he was unable to contain. Actually, no one was against the questions. That is why we have gathered here.

But before 9S opened his mouth again, Anemone intervened.

"Why don't you team up with Shirou?"

At the same moment, several voices were heard at once.

"Not that it is necessary ..."

"Anemone, who allowed you to be so rude to ..."

"Can we? Is it really possible?!"

And all three fell silent, realizing that they had spoken together. To which Anemone just rolled her eyes, apparently accustomed to seeing something like that.

"Combat campaign unites people. There you can discuss everything you need to show, tell and the rest." She waved her hand vaguely. "The units in the desert need help."

"Anemone, what right do you have to give instructions to a human?" 2B began angrily, in such a tone that 9S looked at her with slightly open mouth.

The leader of the resistance camp looked at her expectantly, and then at Shiro. Emiya literally knew from that glance what was required of him.

"I actually came here for this," he began, and 2B, clearly about to say something, turned her head toward him. "To help you in all I can, this is my goal, which I cannot refuse. Save as much as possible. Whatever danger you face."

2B closed her mouth and put her hand to her chest with a loud clang of teeth.

"As you say, sir. _For the glory of mankind_."

She replied in a neutral and rather cool tone. Shiro immediately remembered Saber who responded in exactly the same tone when she was unhappy.

" **..."**

Don't even think about it, Shirou warned a nascent thought somewhere inside, where **Apeiron** dwelt in his mind.

"For humanity, right?" Shirou smiled. "It's good. If so, then I think we should go. We will discuss everything on the way."

Anemone quickly gave them all the details they were interested in and the androids, without saying a word, went to the exit, even though 9S asked a few additional questions, which ... in principle, it was not necessary to ask.

Shiro slowly walked out after them. Near the exit, already seeing the green of the abandoned city in front of him, he smelled smoke and turned around ...

... And saw how the whole camp was engulfed in flames. The androids screamed, running away from the machines that quickly caught up with them, and tore them apart with their toothy jaws. Their eyes glowed red, a much thicker and more intense hue than the one Shirou had already seen.

Air froze up somewhere in the lungs, not wanting to advance. The magician just looked at this picture until no one of the resistance remained alive, until the machines move towards him. As soon as the first of them reached him and rushed forward, a voice was heard behind.

"Sir, are you coming?"

Shiro turned around and saw 9S. He was without a visor, his gray eyes shone with crimson, just like the machine life worms behind him, and a smile played on his lips ...

... Suddenly there was not enough air. Shirou turned back to see only the blank gaze of Anemone standing at her desk. Looking back, he saw 9S standing a couple of paces behind, looking ... at him, maybe? He couldn't see it because of the visor.

"It's okay. Let's go."

Glancing back at Anemone, who waved at him, Shirou smiled slightly too tightly and turned around as he left the camp. He still felt the smell of smoke in the air.


End file.
